It's Magic my Dear Doctor!
by Writer-of-many-subjects
Summary: She had been working with magic that dealt with time. With one wrong move she's become nothing but atoms and is forced to watch the Doctor as he goes through his adventures. She just hopes that her mistakes lead to something fantastic. As she journeys with the alien she knows as the Doctor she learns more about herself than she had before. Even feelings. 4-12/OC!
1. 1

I don't own Doctor Who, Harry Potter, or Sherlock Holmes. This is a slight crossover, but not enough to be listed as such.

4-12/OC.

Please enjoy! This was genuinely fun to write!

* * *

Chapter 1

_I'm Atoms, My Dear Doctor_

* * *

The sound of a pen scratching against parchment filled the silent room. Which was very odd, because the walls were covered in clocks. The clocks were working, the pendulums swinging back and forth in a rhythmic pattern, but no sound was coming from them. The scratching stopped and a sigh rang out.

The person who had let out the sigh was a woman with short, messy, black hair and bright green eyes. She was wearing a crisp, black suit underneath a billowing, black robe. She rubbed at her eyes, the ink on the tips of her fingers rubbing off on her cheeks. She looked tired.

Actually, she was exhausted. Her theory on time manipulation was moving at a snail's pace. She had to delve into mundane texts to find more information on how time could work. Einstein's theory of relativity and the infinite amount of possibilities for an atom had helped her find the equations to start out with, but that was all it could do. E= Mc2 could only go so far.

She picked up a stick and gave it a short wave. One of the clocks started to tick and she turned to look at it. She had been in her office for two days straight. She was starting to feel as though she was taking part in a Russian sleep experiment or something similar.

She wasn't used to being worked like this. She usually worked with her flatmate with the cases he got from the local population when they needed help solving their problems. They thought they were clever and called each other Holmes and Watson, which wasn't that clever seeing as that was their surnames. It had led to some interesting problems with the post. Well, except for the owl post. That had been normal.

Until he had questioned why her mail was delivered by owl. She had blurted out _Harry Potter_ without thinking about it. It wasn't her fault that a mundane-born to magical parents had decided to write down the memoirs of the Boy Who Lived and be highly accurate at the same time. She had been more surprised he had shrugged his shoulders and went back to pacing. He had figured out that the weird things that happened around her was magic.

She had hit him for making her worry. Even when he left to hunt down those that tried to discredit them, she had hit him. Apparently, she had a damn good left hook if the inspectors at Scotland Yard were to believe. She didn't like being worried. It was an annoying feeling that gave way to her feeling completely useless.

She shook her head and flicked the stick again silencing the clock once more. She placed it in the pocket of her robe before standing up from her chair and moving towards a large circle that had been drawn on the floor in dark red ink that glistened in the low light. She placed her notes down and knelt next to them.

She had to test her theory out before she could even think about publishing her notes.

She was going to hit the wizard who decided to mess with time in the first place. He hadn't saved his notes. She found that annoying, though he had been stretched through time and never seen again. He still deserved a good smack, it would've made her job easier. She would've liked to have a foundation to work with. It may have made the deadline set against her far less annoying than it was.

She pricked her finger with a small silver rod and began to draw the equations with her blood. It was needed with the runes she was using. Runes were tricky things and very particular with how you used them. She loved tricky things. It was always fun to figure them out and then twist them to do what she wanted them to do. It was even better when they seemed to have a set of rules to go with them.

She turned away from her work to check her notes. She felt something drop from her chin and mentally cursed. She should've turned the cooling wards on. That little drop of sweat that hit her equations caused them to change and glow a brilliant gold.

"No, no, no," She muttered as she attempted to stop it from reacting.

She was far too late to stop the reaction. She felt as though the air had been stolen from her lungs as her body was flung forward. She would've screamed if she could even form the sounds to do so. She could feel every cell, every atom that made up her body screaming out as they exploded before reforming and continuing in that pattern.

Everything went dark for a few minutes until she was aware of something singing around her. She opened her eyes and noticed that she was in a strange room that was very bright compared to her lab. She stood up and removed her robe, it was too heavy for the climate of the room. She removed her wand from the pocket before letting it drop to the ground. She froze when it vanished from sight.

Her mind went blank before going into hyperdrive until she figured out what had happened. She scrambled her atoms so much that the simple act of trying to become solid was an impossibility with how fast they were moving. She had just completely destroyed her robe. She let out a long stream of curses in Gaelic that would make even the most seasoned sailor blush.

She got a whistle in response and she narrowed her eyes.

"Who's there?" She asked as she held her wand up in defense, ready for a fight.

Another cheery whistle sounded out and she turned to see where it came from. She couldn't find a person or even a robot that could make that sound. She only thought about a robot to keep an open mind, never remove even the least possible of all possibilities. She needed to thank her cousin for that tidbit of wisdom that he had imparted on her.

"Are you the cylinder?" She questioned as she noticed a cylinder surrounded by buttons and levers.

A slightly offended whistle had her holding her hands up in defense. She hadn't meant to insult the…sentient room she found herself in. She was far more intelligent than her peers gave her credit for. She was just highly unlucky. Something that her peers had noticed, the ridicule she had endured because of it had been astounding.

"Sorry, this is all new to take in," She apologized, "Have you any clue where I am?"

A whistle was her response. She tilted her head in confusion. She had to have heard that incorrectly. What she had heard was impossible.

"Tardis? You mean like that one from the old telly show?" She questioned.

A confused whistle sounded and she frowned.

"Yeah, there was a television show my dad used to show me, he had the videotapes and everything," She answered, "Mind you I rather enjoyed the fourth."

An alarmed whistle sounded out and she quickly shut up. She was being told to stay still of all things. She winced as something gently probed at her mind, her shields having holes poked into it by the action. She may have decent mind-shields, but this was something new. She never had to fight off a sentient spaceship before. She brought a hand up to her head and grimaced as more and more of her shields were ruined.

She decided that if her mind was going to be probed then she'd probe back. She looked towards the console and gently pushed through the doorway that the Tardis had opened to get into her mind. Her eyes began to glow a brilliant gold as she was welcomed to the sight of the time vortex. She knew then that she had made a mistake. Her hand moved from her head and the other joined in the act of covering her eyes.

The Tardis let out alarmed sounds before the connection was broken, but the harm had already been done. She fell to her knees as the gold glow slowly receded back into a dull green. She was blinking at the white floor until she gained her bearings. Her mind was bristling with ideas, thousands of them and all at the same time mind you, she knew where she had gone wrong and what was happening.

Her atoms were recreating the natural chemistry for her body so that she could survive what she had just done. She jumped up to her feet and placed her wand behind her ear. She felt as though she could solve her current dilemma without a problem. She had disrupted her atomic code by looking into the time vortex. She brushed the knees of her slacks off before putting her hands onto her hips.

She was something new.

The Tardis let out a worried whistle and she turned on her heel and gave a nearby wall a gentle pat. She wanted to reassure the ship that everything would be okay. The doors opened and a tall man with a mop of curly hair hidden under a hat walked in. She instantly recognized him and was glad she was stuck with her favorite incarnation of the Doctor.

He walked right past her with two people in tow. Harry Sullivan and Sarah Jane-Smith. They couldn't see her and she was standing in plain sight. She put her hands into her pockets as the Doctor moved around the console and held a lever down.

She huffed as she moved to help him. His companions deserved a smooth Tardis ride. She flipped a few switches without anyone seeing her. The Tardis let out a soft sigh and she grinned up at the cylinder. She had guessed with those actions and she hit the mark.

"This is one of your smoother rides," Sarah commented.

The Doctor simply grinned at that as Harry looked confused. He didn't know what that meant and was too confused to ask. Sarah was busy waiting for them to land. Her excitement was getting to her, she kept bouncing on the balls of her feet.

The Tardis landed and Harry accidentally hit a switch that turned off the lights. She could still see and noticed that she glowed in the dark. It was a golden glow. She was amused by that as she watched them struggle to find torches and lamps. The Doctor almost seemed to feel her amusement and made a face at the strange amusement in a sea of confusion.

She was going to have fun with this turn of events.


	2. 2

I don't own Doctor Who, Harry Potter, or Sherlock Holmes. This is a slight crossover, but not enough to be listed as such.

4-12/OC.

Please enjoy! This is genuinely fun to write!

* * *

Chapter 2

_I Rather Dislike Bugs._

* * *

"So, essentially, this is Noah's Ark," She muttered, "With people? And in space?"

It wasn't the weirdest thing she'd heard or even endured. She knew how weird people were and this really didn't surprise her that much. It was pretty normal for humans if she thought about it. She put her hands behind her back and moved around the main control room. It was a dull grey surrounded by dull grey. She took note of the low amount of oxygen in the air and turned to tell the others. She then remembered that they couldn't hear her, not to mention see her. She clicked her tongue in slight annoyance.

"Oh, you'll figure it out soon," She grumbled as she began to explore.

She got a warning from the Tardis to come back when called and she mentally agreed to that. She'd rather not be left behind. She was just atoms, and Huon particles, at this juncture. No one could see or hear her. She didn't have to worry about trouble.

She passed by a small circular window and look out of it. Her expression became amazed at the sight of stars sprinkling a black background. To her, it looked like rhinestones on a piece of dark velvet. It was…_grandiose_? She rather liked the sound of that. She stared out the window for a few minutes before gaining a small smile to her face. She knew of a professor who would have loved to see such a sight.

She stepped back from the window when she heard something behind her. It didn't sound like the shuffling of footsteps, but the sound of air moving through the vents. Even though she wasn't affected by the amount of oxygen in the air, for obvious reasons, she did find it easier to breathe. It had to be the idea of extra oxygen or a memory of being in an area of low air. She looked towards the metal vents and raised her brows.

The Doctor was good, just as he always had been. She grinned at that, it was a grin that wouldn't look out of place on a child in a candy store, before continuing her exploration. She was in the future, on a space…ship? She couldn't remember if the Ark was a ship or a station. She was pretty sure it was a station. Yes, it was a station. Definitely a station. If anyone had asked, no she did not stare at a nearby wall with a blank expression on her face until she figured that out.

She mentally gave herself a pat on the back for how clever she was. She stopped at that. Her journey into the time vortex had messed with her personality while expanding her mind. Something had been shifted in there. Her curiosity was filled to the brim and she felt like calling all of her peers daft apes. How strange.

She wasn't usually one for insults. Well, she wasn't the kind to give verbal insults that was more of her cousin's shtick. She gave a quiet sigh and tried to reign in her thoughts and get rid of the negativity. Even if she couldn't be seen or heard, she didn't need to make a spectacle of herself. She had done that plenty of times before without the help of a personality adjustment.

Seriously, the one time she hit the trick stair on the moving staircase and had to go to the hospital wing because she fell down three flights was enough to make her weary of being a spectacle. She could almost feel the phantom back pain from the memory. With a shudder, she straightened her suit jacket and stood up straighter.

She continued on her journey until she came back to the Tardis. She had gone a full circle! She chuckled at that. She was highly amused from that fact until she saw the Doctor and Sullivan taking cover behind a counter from a weapon that hung from the ceiling. It rotated in its socket and took aim at her. It actually fired at and she made a face at the feeling of something passing through her.

"That was awfully rude of you," She stated as she grabbed her wand and gave a quick flick of her wrist, "_Perditio_."

It burst into a small cloud of smoke and that caught the attention of the Doctor. He was slowly putting together a theory of his own. He started to wonder if he was just playing into silly paranoia. He was sure that the weapon had fired at some unknown point for some reason. It bursting from the inside like that was very suspicious and unlikely. It was one of the few marvels of human ingenuity and one that had gone through many tests to make sure such a thing wouldn't happen.

"That was a lucky break," Sullivan commented.

"Lucky my arse," She chuckled as she tucked the wand behind her ear again, "I'm like a witch on your shoulder, or the devil if you want to be technical about it."

She amused herself sometimes. She had to, she'd probably lose it if she couldn't find any humor in her situation. She would most likely end up caving in on herself if she allowed her mind to focus on what had happened. The way she was looking at it was either find some humor in the situation or be depressed. She found that she had spent enough time being depressed.

"Pity about the scarf," The Doctor muttered as the two men stood up, he was holding his incredibly long scarf in his hands one of the ends was smoking a little and he began to pat at it, "Madame Nostradamus made it for me, she was such a witty little knitter."

"The gratitude from you lot is astounding," She muttered as she pushed her hands into her pockets.

"All right, Sarah, you can come out now!" The Doctor called before returning his attention to his scarf, "Never get another one like it."

"My shoe," Harry muttered as he picked up his ruined shoe.

"Mind saving that? I can repair it with ease," She stated as she twirled her wand.

"Sarah?!" The Doctor called again.

The two moved from the room and she was about to follow before she saw something from the corner of her eye. It was small, green and completely slug-like. She moved towards it and waved a hand in front of its eyes. It didn't react to her and she knelt next to it to investigate it. It reminded her of a murtlap slug. Now there was a nasty creature, it had a potent poison in its slime that could kill a person within half an hour. A bezoar was the quickest remedy not to die from the poison, then again wearing dragonhide gloves also helped.

She was getting off track again. How odd, that kept happening. She didn't like it. She looked back to the slug. She really didn't like it. She rather disliked slugs and bugs at that. Nasty creatures ate most of her mandrake one year. Never really liked them after that, if one were to ask she definitely didn't take pleasure in using them for potion ingredients.

"Doctor, you might want to be careful!" She called, even though she knew it was a waste of time, "Zed, we've got a bug!"

She tried to remember what movie that was from. Wasn't it _Men In Black_? It was oddly fitting for the situation. She followed it to a large room filled with plastic. All the plastic was shaped into a humanoid form. It was the pods that held humans, she knew that much.

She walked up to one that had just been activated and stuck her head inside. It was actually quite fun to be made out of atoms. You could go through walls if you concentrated enough. She was welcomed to the sight of Sarah Jane-Smith. She rather liked the new clothes she was in, very fashionable. It looked like a mix between what the 1970s thought of Sci-Fi fashion and the late 1990s idea.

"This isn't a mortuary, Harry," She could heat the Doctor and she pulled her head away from the pod, "Quite the reverse."

"Reverse?" Sullivan question as they walked into the chamber, "I'd hardly call it a nursery."

"Cryogenic!" She exclaimed, "That had been on the top of my tongue for a while."

"What?" Sullivan questioned the Doctor, she had unfortunately talked over him.

"It's an old principle, but I've never seen it applied on this scale," The Doctor answered, "Look at them."

"There's well over a hundred on this station," She muttered as she leaned against the wall.

"Well, when you've seen one corpse you've seen them all," Sullivan stated in a bland tone.

"I like him," She told the Doctor, "You should keep this one, what a funny little man."

"These people aren't dead," The Doctor stated with the slightest hint of annoyance in his voice, "They're asleep. The entire human race awaiting the trumpet blast."

Sullivan opened a pod and stared at the person, he then took their pulse. He slowly turned towards the Doctor and gave the man a serious look. She started to cackle. She couldn't help herself it was pretty funny. His expression was perfect for the situation.

"Dead as a door knocker," Sullivan quipped as he released the person's wrist.

"Homo sapiens, what an inventive, invincible species," The Doctor stated as they moved closer to Sarah's pod, "It's only a few million years since they've crawled up out of the mud and learned to walk. Puny, defenseless bipeds."

"I think you just insulted a few billion people with that one," She dryly stated as she began to wonder if she could sit on air.

"They've survived flood, famine, and plague," He continued on without a care in the world, "They've survived cosmic wars and holocausts, and now here they are amongst the stars, waiting to begin a new life, ready to out-sit eternity. They're indomitable. Indomitable!"

"Are you done?" She asked with a dry smile.

She didn't mind, she rather liked listening to him. He had one of those soothing voices that you could listen to for hours. It was a baritone and she absolutely adored it. She raised her brows at that, no wonder he was her favorite. She could listen to him read the phonebook out loud and be entertained for hours.

"Sorry to contradict you, but there isn't even the faintest flicker of life in these people," Sullivan stated.

"It's suspended animation you dolt, of course, the minds been shut off for the most part," She stated, "They still have _some_ neurological activity going on upstairs to stay alive."

She stared off into space for a few seconds following that. She had learned that during her glimpse into the time vortex. She had learned more than she thought. With a single glance, the secrets of time and space were hers to twist. Some of the information was still coming in droves, and other bits were slowly appearing. Slow enough that she knew she was going to be getting new information for years. She pulled her wand from behind her ear and flicked it towards Sarah's pod.

"I say, Doctor!" Sullivan called as the door opened and almost hit him in the face.

"Men, always so quaint," She stated in fond amusement, no resentment or anger were behind those words just good-natured ribbing.

"What have you found?" The Doctor questioned as he walked over, "Sarah! Oh, Sarah Jane."

"We can't help her now," Sullivan stated.

She narrowed her eyes as the Doctor agreed with him. True, she'd be like that for three thousand years, but did he forget the other people within the pods? Hundreds of them! There had to be one that was on the cusp of waking. She moved from her wall and towards the pods. She went through a cupboard when she jumped back in alarm, hitting the ground as she scrambled away from it.

"I bloody hate bugs!" She exclaimed as the cupboard door slammed opened from her magic responding to her alarm.

"Can space stations even have hauntings?" Sullivan asked.

"Oh, by the time I'm done with you, you'd wish I was a ghost," She growled as she jumped back onto her feet fixed her suit jacket as the bug she had seen fell out with a soft thud, "Now what kind of universe tempting bullshite is that?!"

"Well, it's dead, anyway," Sullivan stated.

"Very dead," The Doctor confirmed as they examined the bug corpse, "Almost mummified."

"Oh, that's reassuring," She commented, "I'm heading back to the Tardis, I really, really dislike bugs. Ta-ra gents."

She had done as she said she would. The Tardis welcomed her back in amusement and she made a face. She didn't like bugs! She wasn't going to stay around them if she didn't have to. She might've stayed if she could be seen and as such had a greater presence, but she couldn't so she swanned off.

It was relatively simple really.

"I'm going to explore in here," She announced, "Fewer bugs."

The Tardis gave a soft laugh at that and she threw a wink over her shoulder before heading into the bowels of the ship. What she found were rooms. Well, hundreds of rooms. So many rooms that she just ran through the compartments, seeing as a grand majority of them were labeled. She came to a stop in front of a door that was out of the way. It was dark wood with a silver handle and plaque that glinted in the light.

It had her name on it.

She was supposed to be an invisible companion. A hitchhiker through time and space. Hey. A hitchhiker through the galaxies. She could write a book. Nah, she'd get sued for that one.

She walked through the door and paused. The room was similar to her workshop in her briefcase. There was even a potions station set up next to a vent. She slowly walked through the room and placed a hand on the station. It went through it and she made a sound as she lost balance.

She was glad that she didn't seem to go through the floor. It was like a small part of her brain was concentrating on that so she wouldn't fall. She slowly stood up on her feet and brushed herself off. She decided to look through the rest of the room.

The Tardis had copied her pictures from her memories, the ones that proudly stood on her nightstand back at her flat. She was standing between two of her housemates, Gryffindors that mundane-born woman had gotten the names right, as they grinned up at the camera. Slowly but surely they began to pull at each other's faces and ears. She grinned at the sight before noticing a picture of her and Holmes. She still had no idea where he got that harpoon from. Or why it had been covered in blood. All she knew was that he had decided to take the tube home and had caused a scene.

She clicked her tongue at that and moved towards the fluffy looking bed. She focused on the bed and slowly put her hand out. She hit the soft duvet and let out a quiet cheer. Eventually, she was face down in a pillow with her eyes closed.

She was tired, but she didn't know what would happen if she slept. She was starting to feel as though she had drunk twenty cups of coffee, and it wasn't a good feeling. She was all jittery. She really wanted some sleep.

The Tardis let out a sound and she hummed in response. The others were back. She frowned as images passed through her mind. She was impressed. A small smile growing on her face at the kindness the ship was showing her.

The Tardis was a clever girl. She created a bridge between her hitchhiker's mind and her heart. What her riders went through her hitchhiker was informed of. She was rather fond of her newest rider.

"The names, Johana Watson, but everyone calls me John," She finally introduced, "My mum had a twisted sense of humor."

John's voice had been muffled, but the Tardis had caught it. She let out an amused sound. It slowly became alarmed when John was plucked from her insides. The last thing she heard from the young woman was a loud curse.


	3. 3

I don't own Doctor Who, Harry Potter, or Sherlock Holmes. This is a slight crossover, but not enough to be listed as such.

4-12/OC.

Please enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 3

_Oh, Right, Transmats_

* * *

"Merlin's lost left sock!" John exclaimed, a quick snap of her wrist cast a drying charm and her hair fluffed up due to the lack of moisture, "Which one of you arseholes brought me down here?"

She got no answer as the two men standing in front of her got their bearings and looked around the marshlands. She wasn't pleased with being brought down to the surface of a planet without her consent and then drenched. She had been so close to taking a much-needed nap. She looked at a rather disgruntled Doctor and the smallest of frowns.

"Are you coming, or going?" The Doctor asked, "Or going or coming?"

"Neither," She dryly answered and threw her hands up when she realized that he hadn't heard her.

"I feel like a morse message," Sullivan stated as he placed his hands on his knees, "No, slightly scrambled, more like eggs then."

"Yes, well, let's get on with it," The Doctor stated as he motioned toward a metallic globe that stood out against the rather dreary landscape of tall grass and rocky hills with a bit of marsh sprinkled in every so often, "These must be the refractors."

"Where's Sarah you giant dumbo?" John questioned as Sullivan pointed that out in a far more polite manner.

A female voice called out for help and the men quickly went to do so. That allowed John the time to look at the metallic globe in wonder, she would admit that she hadn't watched this particular episode as much as _Robot _or the _Ark in Space_. It had something to do with the space potatoes if she was remembering it correctly. She held a hand out and touched the sleek metallic surface of the globe. She got a small shock for her efforts and gave a short curse.

"Ah, that jump-started the atoms a bit," She stated with a grin as she heard some sort of sound coming from the globe, "You seem to be ellipsing as well as oscillating, fun."

The Doctor came back and studied the globe. It just so happened to be the one that John had found so interesting that she had to touch it. He was finding that the frequency had changed with that one and was making things a bit fuzzy. He had taken out a screwdriver of all things and was prodding the globe with it.

"Wow, such science," John muttered as she cast diagnostic charms on the globe.

"You have any better ideas?" He muttered back, he frowned at the sudden voice and looked up to see where it had come from, "I'd love to hear them."

"Well, finding what it is that is stopping them from being able to transmit is important, it'd give a better clue as to what's disrupted them," John replied without thinking, she blinked upon realizing something, "Oh Circe's left tit! You can hear me? Granted, I did have my atoms jump-started by the damn thing."

"I can hear you," The Doctor confirmed, "So, who are you?"

"Johana Watson, people call me John," She introduced, "I work for the Ministry for Magic as an unspeakable, I was doing an experiment that went topside."

"You must've been messing with time manipulation to have become atoms," He commented as he continued to study the globe.

"Smart man," She muttered before speaking up, "The problem is they've only been jumpstarted for an hour or so, I'll go back to being unheard, which is sad since I'm quite humorous."

"You always this confident?" He asked.

"No, but I'm a great pretender," She said with a small shrug, "You have to be to go against politicians."

"Politicians," He muttered as he made a face.

"My sentiments exactly," She chuckled before turning back to the globe, "This one probably won't work correctly since I touched it, it's frequency is out of sync with the others."

"Really? Oh, yes, the state of being atomic would allow you to have some sensitivity towards frequency's seeing as they bounce off your atoms," He commented.

"Doctor, who are you talking to?" Sullivan asked.

"A collection of atoms with a consciousness," John said with a small grin chuckling quietly when the man jumped, "Names John Watson."

"I say," Sullivan sighed.

"At least she's friendly," Sarah pointed out.

"She's estimated that we'll only hear her for an hour or so," The Doctor informed them.

"I'll still be around attempting to help, but there's not a whole lot I can do," She added.

"A bit like a friendly ghost," Sullivan said.

"Oi!" John exclaimed, "I'm still alive thank you very much."

"Try not to upset her," The Doctor warned, "She might exceed her amount of energy and go silent, she has an idea as to what is wrong with these."

"An idea can only take one so far," She pointed out as she looked towards the globe with a frown.

"Look, it's going to take some time to do the whole lot," The Doctor said, "Why don't you two make the most of it?"

"Most of what?" Sarah asked.

"This glorious day, the beautiful unspoiled countryside," The Doctor answered, "No one's set foot here for thousands of years."

"What you're trying to say is that you're busy and you'd like us to push off," Sarah commented.

"I'd phrase it more elegantly myself, of course," He defended with a small grin, " Yes."

"Oh, well, might as well have a recess while we're here," Sullivan commented, "Coming old thing-Sarah."

"Enjoy yourselves," The Doctor stated, "Trafalgar Square should be that way."

John looked up from the globe and noted that he was pointing in the opposite direction that they had been heading. She was oddly amused by that. He was sending them away just so he could focus on the globe. He was quite the mad lad.

"Trafalgar Square?" Sarah asked.

"If this is Piccadilly," He answered.

"You're joking," Sarah stated, "Aren't you?"

"Mind the traffic," He grinned.

Sullivan and Sarah set off in the direction he had been pointing. John took a seat next to the globe and watched the Doctor work. Now that she could be heard she didn't have much to say. It was quite the conundrum.

She liked having the ability to talk again, even if it was limited by an estimate of all things. She was just a heavy thinker, a daydreamer to her professors. Smart enough to pass her classes with ease yet underperforming during participation. She really didn't say much. Even if she felt as though she should be talking the man's ear off.

"So what year are you from?" The Doctor asked.

"Two thousand and three," She answered.

"You don't sound that old," He commented as he placed his screwdriver near the globe.

"Thank you, but I'm only twenty-three," She dryly stated, "The Community I live in you become an adult at seventeen."

"What sort of community is that?" He asked.

"The magical," She shrugged, "Read the _Harry Potter_ books if you have them, it's explained in there."

"Your universe is explained in a child's book?" He dryly asked.

"Yeah, and yours is explained in a children's show," She fired back, "And before you ask I don't do spoilers, besides I don't remember everything."

"It's disconcerting to find that your life is something that others watch," He murmured at that.

"Ditto," She agreed, "Seems that people can see through cracks in the universe, at least that's how it comes across."

He hummed in agreement and she laid back on the ground. She decided that cloud watching was more fun than arguing with the man. She started thinking about the stories of _Star Wars_ fans meeting the original Obi-Wan. Sir Alec Guinness had not been happy about his fame from the movie overshadowing his previous work and he wasn't afraid to let it show.

Meeting him had been a way of killing a little kid's hero.

She didn't want that to happen. Doctor Who was one of the few things she and her father both enjoyed. She didn't want those memories getting ruined. At least, not at the moment.

"What is an unspeakable?" The Doctor asked her.

"A researcher," She answered, "I was asked by the minister to look into time manipulation simply because I have a mastery in runes."

"Did you figure it out?"

She looked towards him at those words. He was looking in her direction but didn't meet her eyes. He had guessed the right area. She gave him kudos for that. He was patient as she contemplated what answer she could give him.

"What do you think?" She dryly asked.

"You started to phase into sight when you went silent," He pointed out, "The more energy you conserve the faster you'll come back."

"My thoughts exactly," She muttered as she began to roll her eyes, "But I doubt it'll be anytime soon."

He went to say something about her blatant pessimism when they both heard a scream. He jumped to his feet and she slowly got up. It was a male scream. He thought it sounded like Sullivan.

"Harry?" He questioned as he began to walk through the scraggly grass.

"Idiot," John muttered as she slowly followed behind him.

She made a noise as he began to move down the cliffside. He made good time for a man in his late thirties. Color her impressed. He reminded her of her old Headmaster. Now there was a man who could move for his age, she never did figure out what charms he used to help with his joints. Pity, she'd have loved to jump around like a child well into her hundreds. She watched as the Doctor came across a man wearing a dirty and slightly ragged space suit. She could tell from the distance that he was dead.

"Hold it!" A man shouted as he and another ganged up on the Doctor.

"Doctor," She hissed as she stopped on the cliff, unsure if she could even climb after him to help.

"Is he a friend of yours?" The Doctor asked as he held his hands up.

"He's killed Zake!" One of the men stated.

"No, I-" The Doctor started but didn't get to finish.

He was shot. John made a face at that. What was it with her making friends that constantly got shot? It happened more often than she liked. First Sherlock making Moriarty shoot him as a dare then her best mate getting shot during the war. She shook her head and took a leap of faith and followed after the men as they dragged him through the tall grass. Those grey trousers were going to have grass-stains from hell.

"Way to go," She murmured as they came across an alcove.

She sat next to the Doctor as the men started a fire. She went to push the doctor curls away from his forehead to give him a slight breeze, but her hand passed through them. She made an annoyed face as she brought her knees up to her chest and watched the men mutter amongst themselves. After a few minutes, the Doctor started to come around with a very quiet groan.

"Cut him loose, Erak," One of the men stated, "But leave his hands tied."

She made a face and sent a mild stinging hex towards both men before charming the rope away from the Doctor. The two men backed away rubbing a hand against their arms where the hex had hit them. She wasn't playing this game, not today. Did this mess with time? Possibly. Did she care? No, not really. A manic grin appeared on her face.

"Now, we can do this like civilized persons," She stated and they jumped at her sudden voice, "You all right, Doctor?"

"You waited a long time to do that," He pointed out as he slowly got to his feet.

"Well, weighing pros and cons take a while," She informed him before turning to the two men, "I believe you have a conversation waiting for you."

He nodded at that and eyed the two men. He hadn't liked getting shot. He didn't really fancy it happening again. He was somewhat grateful that he had a genuine witch in his corner.

"What would you like me to talk about?" He asked the men.

"What have you done with our crew-mates?" The leader asked.

"We just got here," The Doctor stated.

"How? We've seen no ship," Erak pointed out.

"We didn't use one, we came by transmat beam," The Doctor supplied.

"That's a lie," A new voice stated as another man joined in the group.

"It's actually the truth," John defended with a slight hiss.

The Doctor was tempted to tell her that she was starting to cut out like a radio station that was losing its reception. Her hour was ending. Pity, he was enjoying her company. It wasn't every day that you find someone who split their atoms apart and was still alive to tell the tale.

"Who are you?" The Doctor questioned.

"Vural," The newcomer answered, "I'm the leader of this party."

"I see," The Doctor murmured.

"Where did you find him?" Vural asked the two men.

"We saw him creeping about that circle," Erak replied, "He's got an invisible girl with him."

"We were not creeping," The Doctor defended in an insulted tone as John gained an amused grin Erak was making her sound like a religious figure, "I was attempting to repair it."

"Shut up!" The only unnamed man ordered, "By the time we caught up with him he was bent over Zake, he killed him."

"I did not kill him," The Doctor stated and John could almost hear the roll of his eyes, "We heard a cry and found him with his neck broken in a gully. An accident, I imagine."

"You say you came here by transmat beam?" Vural questioned.

"That's correct," The Doctor confirmed.

"There's no transmat beam on this planet," Vural said, "The Earth's been junked."

"Temporarily abandoned perhaps, but not junked," The Doctor informed them.

"It's worn out, useless, and too far from the freight routes," Vural argued, "Nobody comes here so there's no transmat beam. Check?"

"Oh, would you lot stop this nonsense," John stated in an annoyed tone, "You have two people saying the exact same thing, therefore there must be some truth to it."

"She's right, we came down from Space Station Nerva," The Doctor added.

"Where?" The man asked.

"Space station Nerva," John supplied, her voice growing stronger as her atoms got charged from her frustration.

"Space Station Nerva doesn't exist," Vural scoffed.

"Fascinating," The Doctor stated, "You don't believe it exists, yet you've obviously heard of it."

"So, it must exist for how else are there stories about it," John stated enjoying someone who shared her newfound way of thinking, "Much like the lost city of Atlantis."

"Like what?" Erak questioned, his eyes moving around the area to find the source of the voice.

"Lost Atlantis, it's a legendary city," The Doctor supplied the answer, "A go...never mind. This is extremely interesting. Will you let us go?"

"No, we're going to get the truth out of you first," Vural stated.

"Very colonial," The Doctor commented, "You are from a colony, I take it?"

"GalSec," Vural confirmed.

"Of course, on Nerva, they know that various colony ships left Earth," The Doctor stated with a grin, "They'll be delighted to know that they're not the sole survivors of the human race. You are human?"

"Of course we are," Erak stated.

"Do take no offense to him," John stepped in, "He has a problem with insulting people, on accident of all things."

"Do you mind if I take a close look at that?" The Doctor motioned towards a metal stud on Vural's spacesuit as he ignored the obvious jab at him.

He didn't even wait for an okay from the man and peered at it. John made a surprised sound as the stud let out a small frequency. She covered her ears in surprise before frowning and moving back without thinking. It was sending a signal to someone. She started to wonder if she could be seen on camera, she could be a ghost to people. Oh, the pranks she could get away with.

"I' d say it's not a product of human technology, eh, Vural?" The Doctor asked with a grin.

"You're a freak!" Vural exclaimed pushing the Doctor away from his person.

The Doctor moved away from the men and just watched them with burning curiosity. It was strange to see him so calm. John took a seat next to him and decided to lay down on the grass. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the slight breeze. She was starting to have a headache and she couldn't help but wonder how. She didn't even have a physical form at the moment. The concept of pain should be meaningless to her.

"That strange stud on the suit was letting out a frequency, what d'you think it meant?" She asked the Doctor.

He didn't respond and made no inclination that he heard her. She let out a soft sigh at that and closed her eyes again. Her hour was most definitely up. The Doctor let out a quiet sigh of his own and she flicked her wand slightly. A small stream of feathers came out of it and danced in the air to entertain her. It seemed to amuse him.

"What else can you do?" He questioned.

She looked towards a medium-sized rock and with a jab of her wand, she turned it into a button. She was a firm believer in using non-lethal spells. She had fought in a war using nothing but non-lethals. Oddly enough, she had been a deadly competitor in that war. The Doctor stooped down and picked it up, turning it over in his palm to look at the brown button. His eyes held a curious glint and a fond smile appeared on John's face before she quickly got rid of it.

"Fascinating, how does it work?" He questioned.

"Not like I can answer you right now," She said in a dry tone.

"The hours up, I guess you can tell me next time," He grumbled.

He was pouting. She couldn't help the sharp laugh that came from her at the sight of a grown man pouting. He was usually so well-spoken and here he was, pouting. It was far more amusing than it should've been. His expression deepened, even more, it was almost as if he could tell she was laughing.

She stopped laughing instantly and readied her wand as Vural walked towards them. Her expression and body language changed. From carefree to guarded. It was enough to give anyone whiplash.

"Right," Viral started, "How long have they been in a deep freeze on Nerva?"

"Oh, ten thousand years?" The Doctor answered.

"And you woke up before the others?" Vural questioned.

"Well, no," The Doctor stated, "I'm sort of a traveling time expert, as you can see, Earth's been habitable for several thousand years, but they didn't wake up. Why? Clock stopped. Overslept. So here I am with my unseen assistant."

"Assistant," John muttered as she sent him a look from the corner of her eye.

"Are you some kind of clock expert?" Vural questioned.

"Horologist, actually, and chronometrist," The Doctor corrected, "I just love clocks. Atomic clocks, wall quartz clocks, grandfather clocks, cuckoo clocks."

John couldn't tell if he was just talking for the sake of talking. It was actually quite impressive. She had an amused look on her face as he continued prattling on about different types of clocks. Vural wasn't as amused.

"You got any proof?" Vural asked.

"Well, no, but then I didn't expect to meet anyone," The Doctor replied, "I understood Earth wasn't inhabited."

"Yes, that's what we thought until we got a distress call from around here," Erak stated.

"A mayday?" The Doctor asked, "Then you're a military expedition, I take it."

"One of our GalSec freighters went missing," Vural stated, "We, er, we picked up a distress call and came down for a look-see. Soon as we stepped from the ship it was vaporized. Nine of us were stuck here."

John sighed and moved away from the men. It wasn't much use for her to be there. She moved away from the conversation and looked towards the dreary landscape. It was the perfect weather to go broomstick riding. Her hand made it to her neck and she pulled out a small pouch.

"I wonder if the charms remained," She muttered in deep thought.

She unfastened the ties that kept it closed and stuck her hand in it. It went all the way up to her elbow and she grinned as her hand brushed against something soft. She let it latch onto her hand and she brought out a small snowy owl. It was her familiar. An old girl that had been with her since she was a wee child.

"Hello, Chariot," She cooed at the owl.

Chariot let out a low hoot and immediately fluttered to her shoulder. She smiled happily as the soft feathers brushed against her face. It was a welcomed comfort. At least someone could see her. She made a face at that thought and closed the pouch.

If her familiar was in there then so was her trunk and briefcase. She gave a wry smile. The Tardis was the inspiration for both of those. Much larger on the inside than the outside. The Doctor would get a kick out of them. It would most likely boost his ego as well, and merlin knew that the man didn't need it.

Well, whenever she became completely solid she could show it to him. She really hoped that it wouldn't take too long. It wasn't fun being nothing but a bunch of atoms, being unseen by others. It was quite lonely. She looked towards Chariot. Her familiar gave a low hoot and she pressed a small kiss to the white feathers. It was nice to have someone in her corner.

"Hey, Rothy!" Erak's shout caused her to jump and she turned to see the men heading towards a distant figure, "Hey! Hey, Rothy!"

Sarah came out from behind a rock and tugged on the Doctor's arm. He seemed surprised to see her and smiled lightly. He looked back towards the running figure. He was somewhat impressed by the speed.

"Who's your fast friend?" He asked.

"I'll explain later," Sarah stressed.

He finally began to move and John followed behind them. They moved towards the rocks and John found something that stopped her. She couldn't grab onto them to climb up. She stood there for a few minutes before letting out a loud curse. She took out her wand and gave a quick swish. A ribbon flew out a tore after the Doctor.

She had to let him know that he was without her assistance. His witch on his shoulder was out of commission. She leaned forward and pressed her head against the rocks. She let out a sound as she phased through one. Her adventure was at an end, for now.

She sighed and headed back to the Transmat circle. She could sit and look at the globes and attempt to figure out what was wrong with them or wait for the Doctor to figure it out and take them back to Nerva. She was starting to miss the Tardis.

She put her hands into the pockets of her slacks and started to walk back. There wasn't really anything she could do. She looked up towards the sky and frowned. Earth had changed from what she was used to.

It was cold outside. Sullivan and Sarah had coats for the weather. She had missed the memo and was still in her light winter suit. It didn't keep her warm enough for the temperatures she was facing.

She went back into her pouch and dug around inside of it. She brought out a spare cloak and put it on. It was black, as per uniform regulations, with a red inside. It was made for winter so it would keep the chill off of herself.

"What do you think we should do when we solidify?" She asked her familiar.

She got a shrill sound in response and she let out a soft laugh. She slowly stopped at the look the bird was giving her. She couldn't agree more with the suggestion of sleep. She knew that's what that sound meant.

"Sleep sounds wonderful," She stated a sly smile appeared on her face, "Especially, with the Doctor."

She got a disapproving look at that and she let out a snort. She had shown her best friends around mundane London during a summer holiday. They had enjoyed watching the Telly and became fans of Doctor Who themselves. It was why the tree they had to decorate for charms in their seventh year was full of Doctor Who mementos. Which may or may not have included Daleks that shouted "**Exterminate**" before shooting off mild stinging hexes.

They never could prove anything, and the house points they had gained were played off as academic.

"It's just like my school years," She muttered, "Had the weirdest crush on him back then, it's coming back with a vengeance."

She hadn't been lying when she informed the Tardis that this was her favorite Doctor. It was hard not to be brought in by his charm. She didn't need to justify herself. People always had strange crushes, she knew a classmate who had a crush on Princess Leia, the character not the actress.

She shook herself from her thoughts as she came upon the Transmat Station. It didn't take her long to plop down inside the circle and look out over the landscape. She slowly began to relax and felt her eyes grow heavy. She knew exactly what to do.

"Chariot, scratch me if I begin to phase through the ground," She stated, "I want to try and get some sleep."

She got a sound of confirmation from the owl and she smiled. She closed her eyes and within a few seconds, she was asleep. She was quite happy to be asleep. Even as she started to have strange dreams due to looking into the time vortex.

What she didn't know was that her atoms had relaxed as well. She could be heard at this juncture, and somewhat seen by those with psychic abilities. They'd only see an outline, but it was enough to know that someone was there. She would've loved to know that.

It meant that she'd start to appear more the more she rested. It didn't mean that she'd stay. That was never an obsolete thing. Even if she wanted to. It would be up to the Doctor if she stayed or recreated her failed experiment to send herself back.

Chariot let out a loud screech and John jolted awake. She gave a bleary glare towards the bird before noticing that the others were returning. Sullivan was with them and seemed a bit on edge. She wondered what happened. She frowned before making a face, she _knew _what happened. She just didn't want to think about it.

"What good our invisible friend was," Sullivan muttered.

"She can't travel as she wished like we can," Sarah defended, much to John's surprise, "I bet if she could, she would've had your back the entire time."

She was grateful for the smaller brunette and flicked a ribbon towards her. Sarah jumped until the red and gold ribbon spelled out _Thank You_. It decided to wrap around her wrist and stay there. It was a silent form of friendship and Sarah was quite happy about that. She rather liked the ribbon and knew that it would be finding a way into her lengthening hair.

The Doctor had ignored that in favor of fixing the Transmat station. He really wanted to find his Tardis. He missed his ship and the freedom it allowed him to move with. With a few sparks, the globes let out a frequency that had John flicker into view for half a second. No one had caught it, besides him. He'd only been able to see her clothes earlier. She was rather pretty with short black hair and bright green eyes. He turned towards Erak and his friend, who's name happened to be Krans.

"Sure you won't join us?" He questioned.

"No, we'll wait until that lot from Nerva get here, thanks all the same," Krans replied.

"Don't trust those transmat beams," Erak stated with a frown, "They never work too good."

"As you wish," The Doctor shrugged, "I would stand back if I were you."

The two men quickly backed out of the circle and the Doctor grinned at that. It had been quite the sight. John gave a small yawn and wondered when she was going to see a different planet, or even space again. Earth was great but her curious mind wanted space. It was filled with endless possibilities.

"I mean, it should be all right," The Doctor said.

John sent him a look when a hum went through her atoms. The world around her changed and she closed her eyes. Travel by Transmat was slowly turning into her least favorite thing. It scrambled the atoms a bit.

It was highly uncomfortable.


	4. 4

_I had to put the Genesis of the Daleks into separate parts. It had gotten too long._

* * *

Chapter 4

_On the planet Skaro_

* * *

John looked around what appeared to be a quarry. She eyed the bits of rock that littered the area and jutted out from the soft sand before giving a curt nod. Yep, it was most definitely a quarry. She snapped her fingers when she finished looking around. She knew this planet! It was the planet of Skaro! She just had one question.

Where the Circe was everyone else?!

She let out a loud groan of disbelief before sitting on a rock. She blinked in surprise when she didn't automatically go through it. It seemed as though the transmat was able to help refocus her atoms and make her solid once again. She welcomed the ability to put her foot on the ground and feeling the action. A loud screech met her ears and she looked towards a very disgruntled Chariot.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry Chariot!" She exclaimed as she rushed over and helped the small snowy owl, "I should've warned you about the Transmat old girl."

She winced as Chariot nipped at her fingers. It was hard enough to draw blood and she sent a small pout towards the bird as her fingers made their way into her mouth. After a few minutes Chariot seemed to forgive her and her shoulder became a perch. The tightening of talons in her shoulder let her know that not everything was forgiven.

She stood up straight and pulled her cloak around her out of habit. She looked up towards the sky and squinted as she tried to figure out the time. She needed to find the others or go find something interesting before sundown. She could go mess with Davros. As soon as that thought struck her, she grinned a large manic grin that had to be influenced by the Doctor. _She could mess with Davros._

She took off towards the north with sloppy steps. She was hoping that she could find a city. Finding the others would be great and all but messing with Davros was an opportunity that was simply impossible to pass up. She knew the Doctor would get on her case about it, if he ever found out about it that is.

"Doctor!" She heard a familiar voice shouting, "Doctor!"

"Sounds like Sarah," John muttered in amusement, "The only person I know of with lungs like that."

She placed a foot on a large rock without thinking and climbed over it. She paused upon realizing that she had been able to perform that feat. Apparently, travel by transmat helps more than she previously believed.

The Huon particles scattered within her atoms were another story. Those were attempting to rewrite her DNA while she was still in the atomic form. She placed a hand to the right side of her chest and winced. Every so often there would be a sharp pain in that area when she breathed. It happened again and her face became one of deep thought before she shook her head.

She needed to pay attention to her current task. She jumped down the rock and steadied herself when several of the smaller ones shifted under the sudden addition of her weight. It was with quick steps that she headed towards Sarah's voice. She skidded to a stop and almost laughed at Sullivan's jump when the gravel beneath her feet shifted with her movements. She found that she liked messing with him. She could ignore the disapproval that seemed to radiate from Chariot.

"That must be our invisible friend," Sullivan commented.

"Did you see the Doctor on your way here?" Sarah asked her.

"I didn't," John stated, hoping that she could be heard.

"Where could he be?" Sarah muttered with a frown, hearing the invisible woman yet not seeing her.

She was almost amused at the strong Liverpool accent. She looked towards the spot where the ground had shifted and watched as the gravel moved again. John was slowly gaining a physical representation in their universe. It would fade after a while if she used most of her energy, but at least it was growing.

"Ah, there you are, Sarah," The Doctor stated as he came upon the group.

"I say, Doctor, that was a pretty rough landing. What happened?" Sullivan asked.

"Yes, where are we?" Sarah added, "This isn't the beacon."

"No, there's been a slight change of plan," The Doctor stated as a sudden explosion sounded close to them, "This is Skaro."

"Sounds like a war is going on," John commented, "Not a place you'd want to vacation is it?"

"It's getting closer," Sarah stated as she attempted to see what it was.

"It's a creeping barrage," The Doctor said before pushing Sullivan and Sarah towards a nearby bomb crater, "Get down!"

John jumped down and joined them. With a flick of her wand, a bubble appeared around them. Runes and math went hand in hand when it came to creating spells or modifying them. This was one of her shields she created during the last Wizarding war. A dark expression passed over her face at the memories that attempted to push towards the front of her mind. She pushed them down, it wasn't a healthy way to deal with them, but it was hers.

It'll work, for a while.

"Something's annoyed them," the Doctor said.

"Really? I hadn't noticed," John dryly commented as she winced when rocks bounced off the bubble.

It was a few minutes until the barrage stopped. After a few minutes of silence, John dropped the charm holding up her bubble. It popped, doing so created a small sound that was very discreet and could be passed off as an animal skittering about the ground. The smell of mint, however, gave away that she had been there.

"That's clever," Sullivan commented.

"Thank you," John smiled as she headed out of the crater and noticed something strange, "You lot might want to see this."

It didn't take them long to join her. She was knelt by the corpse of a soldier. He was wearing a gas mask of all things. The Doctor moved towards the body as Sullivan joined John in her kneeling. He was disconcerted when he felt her shift her weight and the gravel moved.

"Nothing can be done for this chap," Sullivan said after looking over the body.

"That's strange," The Doctor stated as he picked up a rifle and examined it before moving onto a smaller gun that looked futuristic, "There are centuries between these two weapons."

"What's that on his jacket?" Sarah asked as she motioned towards a small device.

"It's a Geiger counter," John replied, "I don't see how a gas mask and a radiation detector go together unless it's for aesthetic purposes."

"What an aesthetic," Sullivan commented.

"It's post-apocalyptic in nature," John added in slight amusement as Sarah felt the material of the uniform.

"Part of his uniform is made of animal skins, and yet the combat jacket is a modern synthetic fiber," Sarah stated.

"It's like finding the remains of a stone-age man with a transistor radio," The Doctor commented.

"Playing dubstep nonetheless," John stated with a grin on her face.

"Dubstep?" Sullivan asked.

"What year did you come from, John?" Sarah questioned.

"Two thousand and three," John replied with a small smile.

"This seems like a thousand-year war," The Doctor said in thought, "It's civilization on the point of collapse."

"What?" Sarah questioned.

"Nothing," The Doctor stated, "Just theorizing, that's all."

He put the weapons down and brushed the dirt from his hands. The other three got to their feet and did the same. The weather on Skaro was hotter than it had been back on the newly cooled Earth. John removed her cloak and put it back into her pouch. Chariot had taken flight when she removed it and waited till she took off her suit jacket as well before resuming her spot on her shoulder. Her talons easily gripped the pinstriped dress-shirt. Blue and white were a winning combination in John's eyes, and it pissed off Holmes's older brother.

"Come along," The Doctor stated.

"Where do you suppose we go?" John piped up with a small frown.

"Forward, of course," The Doctor replied.

She sent him a look as he began to walk forwards. Sarah and Sullivan followed, and she sighed. That was such a stupid idea. Then again, she wanted to mess with Davros. She really couldn't say anything, could she?

She followed and they came across a rocky hill with sand. She was walking at a leisurely pace. She wasn't worried, she was invisible and if she were to cast a notice-me-not charm and a muffling charm no one would be able to tell that she was around. She made a face at that. The Doctor would probably be able to tell she was around, he had an uncanny knack for noticing things most didn't. The man was more observant than others thought.

"Don't move!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"What is it?" Sarah asked.

"I see a land mine," He answered, "We're in the middle of a minefield. Follow me and tread in my footsteps."

"Good King Wenceslas," Sarah muttered as they began to move again.

The snort in response let her know that she had been heard. At least it was from the only other female in the group. At least someone understood her humor. She almost slipped on a rock and a small hand caught her elbow and helped steady her.

"Thank you, John," Sarah smiled.

"S'no problem," John sheepishly replied as her ears burned.

She paused in her steps and looked at the cliffs surrounding them. Her eyes narrowed. She felt as though they were being watched. Chariot let out a low hoot and with one look from her witch took off to the skies. She'd give them a warning if they were in danger.

"I think we're being watched," John commented in a light tone.

"I thought that as well," The Doctor murmured as he too looked up to the cliffs.

"It's unsettling," Sarah stated with a slight shudder.

"I can't see anything," Sullivan said with a slight shrug.

"Let's hope its imagination and paranoia," The Doctor stated.

He was about to take a step when he suddenly stopped. The three almost shared a look of confusion. John let out a sigh as she saw where the Doctor was standing. The mine, she forgot about the mine. Granted, she had a perfectly good reason for doing so. Her mind was filled with all those ideas, each one bouncing from one to the next. It was amazing that she even had coherent thoughts.

"Sully, he's on a mine," John stated, she had done a Liverpoolian thing and shortened his last name, "Let's wedge some rocks under it to stop it from rocking."

"Right," Sullivan gave a curt nod before turning to the Doctor, "Don't move your foot."

"I wasn't planning on it," The taller man dryly stated.

Harry knelt and gently observed the mine as John brought some rocks over. Sarah couldn't help but be amused at the sight of rocks floating. She slowly backed up a bit from the mine as Harry began to level the mine with the flat rocks that had been brought to him. The Doctor looked towards Harry before looking towards the floating rocks.

"There's no point in risking both of your lives," The Doctor stated.

"Don't be an idiot, it doesn't suit you," John commented in an offhanded tone, "Sully's got this and if anything seems like it's going to go off, I'll put up a shield."

He made a slightly offended face. He was also slightly flattered. He wanted to argue but a look from Sullivan stopped him. He knew better than to fight a medical doctor. He had a feeling that the Doctor was amazed that the witch was on his side about this.

"Now, just lift your foot very, very gently," Sullivan ordered the Doctor after he finished with the rocks.

The Doctor complied and slowly lifted his foot. The mine remained static and Sullivan let out a short breath of relief. He felt a hand bump into his shoulder, and he held his out and it was grabbed by a much smaller hand before he was pulled to his feet. It was strange to feel something but not see it. He was starting to get used to the idea of the invisible woman.

"Thank you, Harry," The Doctor said.

"My pleasure," Sullivan stated.

"Man, of the hour," John grinned and clapped him on the back.

"Let's go," The Doctor told them.

They continued onwards through the minefield before coming upon a line of barbed wire. John was quick and quietly walked away from them. She could see a squat dome in the distance and wanted to explore it. She wouldn't be able to do this when she became fully visible.

She looked at the type of dome it was.

A protective dome. It really was a war of attrition. They could make something like that, but we're slowly regressing back to primitive technology. She let out a quiet cough before putting up a notice-me-not charm paired with a muffling charm.

She was going to mess with Davros. She knew the exact building. She looked towards the sky and tugged on the familiar bond. Within a few seconds, Chariot came barreling towards her before gently landing on her shoulder. She cast a few charms, much to the owl's indignation, and stashed her wand up her sleeve. Before opening the pouch around her neck. Chariot quickly flew into it so she wouldn't be in danger. She closed her pouch and stashed it back under her shirt.

She found the opening between the sandbags and slipped through it. Corpses lined the trenches and she sighed. War was such a waste of life. She couldn't help but hate war, it takes far too much.

She shook her head and headed towards a door. With a quick wave of her wand and a silent _Reserare_ the door slowly opened. She quickly moved through it as the soldier stationed within moved to apprehend whoever had appeared. He couldn't see or hear her, and she smirked at his confusion. She quickly vanished it. Her new thought pattern made her a bit mean towards those with smaller minds. She let out the smallest of sighs. Again, she was never _that_ mean before.

She had been exploring the area when she came across a large group of scientists. She leaned against a metal wall and watched as they scurried around like chickens without their heads. She was keeping an eye out for Davros. this seemed like a scene that he would be found at. Merlin, she was making him sound like some kind of clubber.

A loud sound rang out as a comm system cracked to life. She had to cover her ears as it messed around with her atoms and caused a loud ringing to fill her ears. She looked towards the speaker and attempted to listen to the announcement through the frequencies that were causing the ringing. Apparently, the Doctor and Sullivan had been found by the Kaleds. She waited until the announcement was done before attempting to find the strategy room. She was happy that she was solidifying, but she missed the ability to stick her head through objects it would have made things so much faster. Eventually, she came across a labeled door and she shimmied in. There was a man inside who looked angry. She moved to the back of the room and leaned against the wall.

It didn't take long for the Doctor and Sullivan to be brought in by guards. The man sent them a look of slight annoyance. He reminded her of the pictures of Nazis that were in the mundane history books she had read in primary school. She was starting to think that was the inspiration for the military of the Kaled humans. The Doctor was forced to empty his pockets and she moved closer to watch with slight amusement.

"This is yours?" the man asked as he picked up a small circular device.

"Yes," The Doctor replied.

"What is its function?" the man questioned.

She could tell him that. It was an etheric beam locator! It was used to detect ion charged emissions. With her atoms being the way that they were the locator went off and she stifled a slight laugh at that. The Doctor had an amused expression on his face as his eyes found the spot where she was. Sullivan could guess what was going on and he raised his brows before quickly schooling his expression.

"It is not of Thal manufacture," The Man stated.

"Well, naturally not," the Doctor stated in slight amusement, "My friend and I are not from your planet."

"Aliens then?" The man questioned.

"Humans," Sullivan answered before eying the Doctor, "Well, I am, anyway."

"I've heard Davros say there is no intelligent life on other planets, so either he is wrong, or you are lying," The man accused.

"We are not lying," the Doctor stated in a tone that told that the wasn't appreciative of being called a liar.

John understood that far more than anyone could ever understand.

"And Davros is never wrong about anything," The Man stated with a glare.

"Then he must be exceptional," The Doctor commented in a light tone, "Even I am occasionally wrong about some things, just who is this Davros?"

"Davros is our greatest scientist," The Man answered, "He's in charge of all research at the bunker."

John stepped towards the Doctor and gently reached out for his hand to tap out a message in morse code. She was lucky that he had his hands behind his back in the first place. His hand twitched slightly as she tapped out her message. She finished and he gave a small nod that looked as though he was simply looking down.

She headed out with a small smile and started towards the lab. Her message told him that she was going ahead and that she hadn't seen Sarah. The brunette was safe, for the moment, but she was worried about the shorter woman. She could tell that with her atoms calming down and allowing her body to become physical her mind was starting to accept the changes. She had a mean streak, that was something she wouldn't lie about she knew that she had one now, but it was mostly tempered by her actual personality. The soft-spoken researcher, the book worm, the girl who spent more time in the library reading than _Granger_, and the girl who took down death eaters with non-lethals.

She stopped outside of the laboratory and waited for a scientist to head out. One eventually did, his head ducked down as he read from a folder. She walked next to him and easily moved into the room without alerting him of her presence. She let out a very quiet gasp as different frequencies hit her body. If she hadn't had the notice-me-not charm on the different scientist would've seen her flickering in and out of sight. She went to one of the metal walls and place a hand on it as she attempted to get used to the different frequencies. Oh, her chest was starting to hurt.

"Party approaching, check one," One of the guards said as he looked at a monitor attached to the wall, John sent him a look as sweat dripped down her nose.

"Tane, this is security commander Nyder with prisoners and escort," A familiar voice stated.

It was the man that had been questioning the Doctor and Sullivan. She straightened up and tried to ignore the pain that was going through her chest. She moved towards the door and waited for the two men to come through. The steel doors quickly opened, and she felt relieved to see the Doctor. He took a quick study of the room and she could've sworn that he had paused on the spot she was standing at. She wondered if that was because of the somewhat psychic abilities of the Time Lords. It had to be. Well, it was all speculation on her part, and she frowned slightly at that as they walked in.

"I want these two screened and passed to Ronson for full interrogation," Nyder ordered.

"Yes, sir," Tane nodded before giving a small salute.

"The Prisoner's belongings," Nyder held out a plastic box before giving a salute and leaving.

"Good, well, now he's gone, any chance for a cup of tea?" The Doctor questioned with a grin.

"What?" Tane asked in disbelief.

"Or, Coffee, my friend and I have had a very trying experience," The Doctor stated before turning towards Sullivan, "Haven't we had a trying experience, Harry?"

"Very trying, Doctor," Sullivan quickly agreed with light amusement.

"Step into the security scan," Tane ordered.

"What, no tea?" The Doctor asked.

"Let me point out to you that you have no rights here whatsoever," Tane informed them, "I have the full authority to torture and kill any prisoner who does not comply absolutely with my orders. That is your first and last warning."

"No tea, Harry," The Doctor stated.

Sullivan was moved towards a body scanner and was pushed inside. He made a face as the hum hurt his head and it was followed by John. She stumbled slightly and bumped into the Doctor. He didn't even react to it as he stood up straight and made sure that he didn't move. She had her head resting against his shoulder and it was only slightly distracting. She clenched her jaw and tried to stay standing. It was such a weird feeling to have waves moving through your body and it was making it difficult for her to concentrate.

"You're cleared," Tane informed Sullivan as the man was pulled from the scanner, "You next."

The Doctor moved forward and waited to be done. The hum started up again and John let out a wince and stumbled back towards a wall before it suddenly stopped, and a beep sounded out. She couldn't wait to be a physical presence again; it would mean that her sensitivity to frequencies would be gone. At least, she hoped.

"The scanner detects a power source located below the prisoner's left elbow," Tane stated as his men started to move to apprehend the Doctor, "Remove the object from the prisoner's left wrist."

He barely put up a struggle when they removed a golden ring from his arm. The Doctor didn't look too pleased by what had happened, and it was the first time that John could say that he was sweating. She wondered if things were changed since it wasn't just a tv show. This is a real person, alien, with real feelings. She could contemplate it later, but she was ready to defend the Doctor if the need arose. Even as she looked around at all the guns, she could probably be shot now, it was too risky without any defense.

"You can't have that," the Doctor stated, "That bracelet could have no possible use as a weapon."

"It remains in the box with the other confiscated items," Tane told him as he placed the bracelet in the box while maintaining eye contact.

John moved forward and placed a hand on the Doctors. He seemed to reluctantly step down. Sullivan had been about to say something to calm the man down. He watched as the item in the bin seemed to shimmer for a few seconds. Their resident witch had to be doing something.

John bit her lip as she grabbed the real bracelet and quickly stashed it in her pouch. She had created a copy and placed it in the box. It didn't let out the small frequencies that the actual bracelet did, it seemed to mess with Huon particles within her. It made her feel light and happy, something that she hadn't been in a very long time. She walked over to the Doctor and left him a small message.

"Two prisoners at the checkpoint," Tane stated, "Awaiting orders."

"The time ring is our only hope of getting back to the Tardis," The Doctor said in a low voice so that Tane wouldn't hear them, "Make sure you don't lose it John and be careful where you go."

She gave him an affirmative tap. She waited for the door to open when a guard stood next to it and followed him out. She looked through the long corridors and started down one way. She took out her wand and did a location spell. It rotated in her hand for a few seconds before pointing in a direction. She started to head that was and eventually, she came across a Dalek.

That hadn't been what she was looking for. She backed up in slight surprise as it looked around with its singular eye. It passed over her and she was happy that her magic was keeping her hidden from their sights. She looked over the pepper pot looking vehicle, she remembered that was what it was supposed to be, and watched as it moved around. It was figuring out how to drive. She sighed and moved back even more.

It seems she found Davros. She turned on her heel and calmly walked back to the laboratory. She needed to wait until he opened the lab door before she could rejoin Sullivan and the Doctor. The door opened and a guard walked out. It was tricky but she managed to walk through it without bumping into him. She needed to find the Doctor to warn him, to get him to shut up about whatever he was talking about. She found him and walked up to the Doctor to gently tug on his scarf in the back. He was in mid-conversation and it caused him to pause slightly before Davros made his appearance.

"You two stay quiet," The scientist he had been talking to warned them.

Sullivan and the Doctor stood behind the scientist as Davros rode across the floor in his life support vehicle. John may have wanted to mess with him, but something stopped her. An unease rose up in her as she looked at the creator of Daleks. She could pinpoint what it was, fear. Something was wrong, she'd never been scared of _Daleks _before. It was odd, and she didn't like it.

"If I may have your attention," Davros stated, "For some time I have been experimenting with the Mark Three project, details of modifications will be distributed later, however, I am anxious that you should see immediately the remarkable results that I have achieved, and to that end, I have arranged this demonstration."

The door next to a filing cabinet opened and the Dalek glided in. The Doctor felt something grab the back of his coat and he realized that John was nervous. He moved and he felt her slowly release his coat. She hadn't realized she'd been doing that. She missed seeing his surprised expression when she had done so. He hadn't been upset that she had grabbed onto him in her discomfort if anything it had been quite an ego booster. This new face of his seemed to be quite a charmer.

"A Dalek," The Doctor muttered.

"What?" Sullivan questioned.

"A Dalek," He replied, "It's primitive, but undeniably a Dalek."

"You're mistaken," The Scientist spoke up, " It's a Mark Three travel machine."

"If you say so," He said.

"Halt. Turn left. Move forward," Davros commanded the Dalek.

It performed each feat that was commanded of it. The Doctor once more felt John move closer to him. He was flattered that she sought some form of protection from him. It seemed to be something that many of his female companions did.

"Turn right. Move forward and circle left," Davros continued his orders before turning towards his assistant, "You will agree, I think, that voice control represents an enormous step forward, however, the best is yet to come, Nyder."

Nyder walked up to a box and removed an object that looked like a whisk. She knew that was the weapon of choice. A laser that killed with ease. She doubted that even in her atomic form that she'd survive a blast from that.

"Our machine is now equipped with a weapon for self-defense," Davros said as the weapon was attached to the Dalek, "Now, I am going to turn the machine over to total self-control. It will be entirely independent of all outside influences. A living, thinking, self-supporting creature."

He flicked a switch on the control board to his vehicle and the gun raised. The Dalek turned towards the assembly of people and a hush fell over the crowd as it moved. It was a slow crawl and slightly menacing. The Doctor felt John shudder slightly and he brought one of his hands back to rest on the one she used to hold onto his coat. She jumped slightly but slowly responded with a small message of thanks.

It didn't bring them any comfort when the Dalek stopped in front of them. It raised its gun and the Doctor dislodged her hand from his coat. She took the hint and stepped back as he placed his hands into his pockets. He looked calm, but she knew he was just as nervous as she was.

"Brilliant! Brilliant!" Davros exclaimed, " It has detected the non-conformity."

"Aliens. I must exterminate. Exterminate!" The Dalek shouted.

The scientist ran forward as John sneaked next to it. She pricked her pointer finger with her teeth and began to slowly draw a rune on the Dalek. It was a prototype so it didn't have the technology to detect her blood. She knew that information had definitely come from the time vortex. That hadn't been announced yet, especially in her universe.

The Dalek stuttered for a few minutes before breaking down. Davros looked at it in fury and confusion as the scientist froze in his spot. She quickly cleaned her blood from the metal body and stepped back as Davros moved forward to check on it. He was muttering to himself and it made her realize that it wasn't the first time that a Dalek had broken down on him.

"You dare to interfere?" He turned on the scientist, "You have the audacity to interrupt one of my experiments?"

"It was planning to destroy him, I believe that these prisoners could be valuable," The scientist defended, "By all means, when I have my questions, let the machine do what it likes with them, but I do need to interrogate them further."

"You will be punished for insubordination. In the meantime, you may question the prisoners until first light," Davros stated, "After that, they will be used to resume the experiment. This meeting is ended."

He left and the scientists began to crowd the Dalek. Some were trying to figure out why it broke down. John smirked to herself as she went back to standing next to Sullivan and the Doctor. The scientist came back with a slightly strained expression on his face.

"Thank you," The Doctor said with a nod of his head, "I am obliged to you."

"I was merely doing my duty," The Scientist shrugged it off, "I believe that you have knowledge which could be of the greatest assistance to us, but if you don't cooperate, then it is certain that Davros will use you as an experiment with his machine in a few hours time."

John made a face at that and looked down at her finger. She blanched upon noticing the color of her blood. It was bright gold. Just what did the time vortex do to her? She was curious and it was at the front of her mind. It caused a mental list to be formed. She was smarter than she had been and had countless ideas running through her mind, her blood was gold, her magic was stronger now that she thought about it, and she could sometimes feel a faint echo in the right side of her chest.

Was she becoming a Time Lord? She thought about it but decided that wasn't it. She was something very similar, but the magic and blood set her apart. She also didn't know if she had the regenerative properties that the time lords had.

"The prisoners are to be taken to the cells," She was brought out of her musings by Nyder, "You can continue questioning them there. Davros orders it."

"Don't follow, John," The Doctor immediately mumbled to her.

She gave him a glare at that but saw his thought process. If he needed help, it was better off having her out in the open. She decided that she'd go and help Sarah. She tapped her message on his back and he gave a discreet nod.

She left after one of the guards and quietly moved towards the trench doors. She was welcomed to the sight of the barren wasteland that was Skaro. She needed to move quickly. She looked up to the sky and hoped that she could make it in time.


	5. 5

Chapter 5

_The Problem with Daleks_

* * *

John made a face as sweat began to roll down her face. She brought an arm up and wiped at her forehead. She made an annoyed sound and looked up at the sky. Her annoyance and irritation starting to show on her face.

She was completely lost.

She had her wand out and was using the charm, correctly at that, but it felt like she was walking in bleeding circles. She stopped walking and rolled her shoulders to let out some of her irritation. She redid the charm and it spun around in her hand before stopping in the same direction it had been pointing. The north, it just had to be further north.

"It's too bloody hot for this," she muttered as she ran a hand across her forehead sweat going down her face and making tracks out of the dirt that had settled there by the hot wind.

It also didn't help that it had been Christmas when she was doing her experiment. She was dressed for the cold, not the heat. She looked down at her clothes and blinked. She let out a short groan at her blatant stupidity.

She stopped her charm and pointed her wand at her pants. With a quick wave, they slowly changed from heavy slacks to a pair of shorts that ended mid-thigh. She even changed her shoes for the terrain. Heeled Victorian boots became combat boots. She contemplated her shirt and changed it to a different material but kept it the white and blue pinstripes.

"That's better," She said in a light tone.

She redid her location charm and started towards the north. She was walking faster as the boots allowed her more traction through the sand. Her stealth charms had faded, and she felt uneasy about being out in the open. It was that part of her that had been tucked away since the war.

The sand on her left exploded and something clicked in her mind and she raised her shields. Her eyes were moving frantically as she attempted to find her attacker. She caught a group of people in dark cloaks with metal skull masks and she made a face. How'd they even get here?

"Unspeakable Armageddon," One of the cloaked people stated, "You are wanted for the magical crime of messing with time and showing yourself to muggles!"

"Mundanes, you divvies," She corrected, "And I was just doing as I was instructed and hired to do."

"Your little muggle friend Holmes said that as well," A female stated, her blue eyes cold and a nasty smirk on your face, "Then again he isn't saying much anymore."

John was silent after that. They most likely wiped his mind completely, or they killed him. The first spell that came from her hit the woman right in the face. She let out a sound of pain as she was thrown from her feet and boils began to sprout on her porcelain skin.

John was merciless in her attack. A blasting charm hit the ground and the cloaked group was surprised when she charged at them. They suddenly realized why the Minister had said to leave her and Holmes be. Those who had fought on the side of the light-or against for that matter- knew better than to mess with Armageddon.

They fell one by one from spells that were normally used in gardening and clothes making. Their atoms had been freshly scrambled and when they went down, they shattered. It was a quick end, but not one they would've wanted. They wouldn't make the mistake of underestimating their opponent again.

John stood victorious. She was looking down towards her feet and she swallowed thickly. She was pushing her guilt down. If she had left her childhood friend alone after the war, he would still be walking around insulting the workers at Scotland Yard.

She picked up her wand and started her search for Sarah back up. She quickly walked through the desert and found herself near an encampment. It was made of buildings, but still enough of a dump to be called an encampment. She looked up at the giant rocket and a dark expression passed over her face.

She found that she was quite sick and tired of war. She knelt and closed her eyes. She needed some form of peace before speaking to Sarah. The brunette was sharper than most thought and would instantly tell if something was wrong. Even if it was just by the tone of her voice.

She took a deep breath before standing back up. She went to take a step when a loud crack filled the air. She made a face as she felt like her body was being pushed through a straw. She kept in a grunt when she landed on solid metal. She could easily say that the Tardis floor was far more comfortable and didn't scuff up her hands.

She looked down at her hand and kept in a hiss, they were bleeding. Heavily, especially for scuffs. She looked down at the floor and frowned. She ran a finger across the grating. She drew it back when the skin was immediately cut into small ribbons while blood began to drip from it. She pulled her hands close to her chest.

She needed to figure out where she was and why she apparated. She looked down towards her legs and made a face. She was going to be cut up, wasn't she? She mentally grumbled before slowly moving her legs across the grating so that she could push herself up to stand.

The soft skin was easily nicked. Gold blood was slowly running down her legs and increased whenever she took a step. She needed her dittany to close the cuts. It was dark in the area that she found herself in. She needed light to fix her legs. She walked up to a metal door and it slowly slid open. Red light filled the room and she looked towards the source with wide eyes.

There was a full moon coloring the sky red. It was red as well and she found herself unable to look away. She knew she had to and looked back down towards her hands. They were shaking as she brought her wand out and opened her pouch. With a summoning charm, she brought a vial out from the depths of the pouch. It was carefully caught in her blood-covered hands and she looked around for a place to lean against. She took a spot against the wall and uncorked the vial. She poured it on her hands first.

The silvery liquid looked menacing in the red light, even more as it connected with her gold blood. She winced as the wounds sizzled before closing. She did the same on her legs and sighed at the sight of the pale scars that had been left behind. It could heal the wounds, but there would always be a scar afterward.

She put the vial away and vanished the blood from her hands and legs. It was with quick steps that she moved through the corridor she found herself in. She was back in the Kaled bunker and she heard something coming towards her. She caught the blue light hitting the floor and she narrowed her eyes.

"Exterminate-!" The Dalek went to shout but was cut off by its top half sliding from its bottom half.

It was an overpowered cutting charm that did the Dalek in. John continued her way and took down any Dalek in her path. She needed to find the Doctor and Sullivan. Her eyes were serious as she ducked below a metal beam that hung in her way.

She was stuck in the war state of mind. She was sweating heavily, the natural heat of Skaro was getting to her and her atoms were overcharged. She looked ready to drop as she fought her way out of the corridors. She ducked when a few bullets headed towards her. She created a shield and moved through the defensive lines with ease. She didn't kill the humans but sent stunners their way. It wasn't like they could reverse the effects and would have to come back naturally.

She knew one thing and one thing only. She was going to be on her own until this ended. She let out a gentle sigh and quickly sidestepped a rushing man. He joined his comrades in their unconscious state. She looked towards the blood moon and the gentle whisperings of her divination teacher crossed her mind. The woman may have been a fraud most of the time, but her real predictions always came true.

The side of herself that she kept under tight control would always find its way out under a blood moon. Everyone used to refer to it as releasing Armageddon-which soon became her nickname and later her unspeakable name- and may God have mercy on whoever was on her enemies' side. She looked down a metal corridor and twirled her wand between her fingers in thought. She didn't really know which way to go and she wasn't too interested in using a locator spell.

She took a left and calmly walked down the hallway. She heard the echoing sound of Sarah's voice and she picked up her pace. She was practically running until she came across the trio. She sent a stunner to the strange creature that was wrapped around the Doctor's throat.

"Oh, John," Sarah stated in surprise, the spell keying her into who had just appeared, "What was that?"

"A stunner," John replied, "I usually use those on biologics."

Harry didn't even bat an eye at that as he threw the unmoving creature back into the room it had come from. They may not be able to see her, but he could hear the tone of her voice. Exhaustion and stress were clear. The way she was speaking was enough to clue him in that not everything was all right.

The Doctor closed the door after tossing a length of wire within the room and the four moved away from it. He was holding the length of two wires and looking at them with hesitation. It dawned on John that he never really contemplated his actions. The Time Lords had given him a task, but he wasn't able to do it. Not with this face. He was too compassionate.

"What are you waiting for?" Sarah questioned him.

"Just touching these two strands together and the Daleks will be finished," The Doctor stated before looking at his companions, "Have I that right?"

"That's the biggest question," John muttered, "I think that when I enter a fight and try to finish things off in a nonlethal manner."

"Does that ever work?" The Doctor asked her in a dry manner.

"Sometimes," She admitted, "It's rare, but nice when it does. Though, those Daleks might cause a bit of a problem in the future."

"Some things could be better with the Daleks," The Doctor informed them, "Yet, many future worlds become allies just because of their fear of the Daleks."

John almost asked him how many were lost because of the Daleks. Just how much war had been brought about by those pepper pots? It would make his decision that much harder. She couldn't do that to him. He was her favorite after all.

"But it isn't like that," Sarah countered.

"The final responsibility is his, and his alone," John commented.

"If someone who knew the future pointed out a child to you and told you that that child would grow up totally evil, to be a ruthless dictator who would destroy millions of lives, could you then kill that child?" The Doctor asked them.

John's mouth closed slowly at the question.

"We're talking about the Daleks, the foulest creatures ever invented," Sarah said, "You must destroy them. You must complete your mission for the Time Lords."

John couldn't comment on that. Her mind was focusing on what the Doctor asked. She calmed down and gained an adrenaline crash. It was getting a bit hard for her to breathe. Her body began to shake, and her eyes widened. She had completely forgotten what the embryos had looked like. She had killed biologicals without realizing it. A part of her knew it was done in self-defense, but it never felt good to know that one had taken a life. She knew that she wouldn't be able to kill a child, even if they were to grow up evil. Like the man who had started the class wars.

She was getting close to having a panic attack due to the stress.

"Do I have the right?" The Doctor asked once again as he looked at the wires in his hands, "Simply touch one wire against the other and that's it, the Daleks cease to exist, hundreds of millions of people, thousands of generations can live without fear, in peace, and never even know the word of Dalek."

"Then why wait?" Sarah questioned as she reached for his arm, "If it was a disease or some sort of bacteria you were destroying, you wouldn't hesitate."

"Taking a life is a bit harder," John answered and the brunette seemed surprised at that, "Even ones that belong to a species that only know how to kill, it would be like becoming them."

"I'd be no better than the Daleks," The Doctor murmured in agreement.

"Think of all the suffering there'll be if you don't do it," Sarah reminded him, though by the expression on her face she didn't like doing so.

"Doctor!" A shout behind her caused John to tense and grip her wand tighter and spin on her heel to see who was coming towards them, "Doctor, I've been looking everywhere for you, Davros has agreed to our terms."

It had turned out to be one of the older gentlemen that worked in the Kaled Military. She relaxed slightly and simply placed her wand in the holster that was hidden up her sleeve. It was something she had gotten from her old Charms teacher, he believed that she would've made an excellent duelist and was surprised that she hadn't followed those circuits. Yet, he understood her reasons. She really was tired of war.

"He submitted?" Harry questioned in slight disbelief.

"He did, but he asked only one thing," The man replied with a small nod, "That he might be allowed to address a meeting of all the Elite, scientific and military."

"He's going to give his case?" The Doctor inquired as he moved his hands away from one another in thought.

"Yes, but a vote will be taken," The man replied, "It's a foregone conclusion, there'll be a complete landslide against any further development of the Daleks, we've won."

"I'm grateful to you, Gharman," The Doctor informed him with a smile, "More grateful than I can tell you."

"The meeting's about to begin, will you come?" Gharman asked them.

"Yes." The Doctor answered.

He turned towards the incubation room and pulled the wires away from it with a sharp flick of his wrist. He placed them down on the floor and began to follow the man and his companions trudged after him. He could hear the steps their invisible companion was making as she moved behind him. There was a slight skid to her gait like she had somehow injured her leg.

"Did you somehow get hurt?" He murmured out of the corner of his mouth.

"Yes, my magic responded to something and I was pulled into a room in the compound," She replied in an equally quiet voice, "Scratched my legs up, but I must've banged it against something on my way here."

She didn't sound too bothered by that and continued to keep pace with them. She had experience moving with hurt limbs. She had her shoulder sliced open at one point during the war, but she had pushed through it. That was probably why it was heavily scarred to the point where she refused to wear short sleeves due to the pitying looks some of her year mates had sent her.

"I wouldn't trust Davros," She muttered, "Wouldn't trust him as far as I could blast him."

The Doctor found a smile working its way onto his face at those words. Blast? He wondered what kind of blast she could even create. Was her magic that simple? Or was it highly intricate? He wanted to see it in action to get a gauge of what can be done with it.

They walked into the laboratory that was being used for the meeting and John felt a wry smile appear on her face. It was the same one she had been in earlier. In fact, the pile of the Doctor's things was still sitting upon one of the many metal tables. She put her hands into her pockets and felt her smile morph into something a bit more impish. Her fake ring was still sitting upon the table. It was glinting under the fluorescent lights.

"Everybody is here, Davros," Gharman announced.

The four time travelers gained a slight smile to their faces. It was a very true statement. John hadn't been around for a while. Now the group was complete and ready to see if peace could be created. John knew it wasn't going to happen, but she wasn't about to crush the Doctor's dreams. He seemed excited to see everything work out.

"The issues are simple and clear cut," Davros began, "I have given my life's work to the survival of our race, the travel machine I designed, the Dalek, will give the creature into which we will mutate its only possibility of continued existence."

"But you have deviated from that intention," Gharman countered, "You have introduced genetic changed that will alter the mutation into a creature without morals and without ethics."

"I introduced aggression," Davros argued in a calm tone, "Without which no race can survive."

"Aggression without a conscience," Gharman stated and a few of the surrounding scientists muttered amongst themselves in worry.

"History shows that cooperation between different species is impossible," Davros attempted to argue, "One race must survive all others, and to do this it must dominate, ruthlessly."

"Calm down there space Hitler," John mumbled, Sarah had been close enough to hear that and pursed her lips in slight amusement.

Sarah felt something gently brush against her and watched as the Doctor barely moved in surprise but placed his palm facing up. For a few seconds, the skin shifted when something pressed into it. He gave a minute nod and within a second his sonic screwdriver was placed within his hand. His fingers curled around it. She couldn't get the Etheric beam locator since her presence would set it off.

John was slightly amused when his fingers caught her hand when she was attempting to hand him his screwdriver. Her amusement disappeared when her heart sped up and her cheeks burned. She hadn't been expecting that. She slowly moved her hand away from the screwdriver as he pushed it up his sleeve.

"Now, I intend that when all the bickering and battling is over, the supreme victor shall be our race," Davros stated, "The Daleks. At this very moment, the production lines stand ready, totally automated, fully programmed."

"That's not good," Harry muttered.

"The Daleks are no longer dependent on us, the machinery is ready," Davros continued, "They are a power in their own right. If anyone of you would destroy everything that we have ever achieved, then here is a destruct button."

He motioned towards a big red button that sat in a console. It was lit up and all eyes had turned to look at it. A few of the scientists swallowed, it was loud in the silence. John turned away from it and tried to get a read on what Davros was playing at, she bit her lower lip in thought before it came to her. This was a set-up. Every Kaled in this room wouldn't see the dawn of tomorrow.

"Press it, and you will destroy this bunker and everything in it," Davros informed the room, "Only this room will remain, press it and you will wipe out our entire race, destroy the Daleks forever."

It was silent and his eyes slowly moved from face to face. He paused on John and she slowly moved back to hide behind the Doctor. Davros didn't unnerve her when she saw his face on the telly, it was when he was in person that she was fearful. This man was mad, and obviously so. His face had far more expression than simple prosthetic makeup could give.

"Which of you will do it?" He asked.

The silence that followed that as the men looked at one another was deafening. John closed her eyes and for a split second, she thought she could hear Davros yelling. His voice sounded like one of his Daleks, but it was still him. Who was the destroyer of worlds? Part of her wanted to say he had been talking to the Doctor. She looked towards the man in question and noticed that he was watching Davros with a serious expression on his face.

It was one of those times that she could say that he was…there. Sometimes it felt as though the fourth got caught up in his own thoughts. His eyes held a slightly worried glint to them, and she gently pressed a hand on his shoulder blade. He didn't even react, but she saw his expression relax.

She envied him; she really did. As she looked at Davros once again she knew that she would've killed the Daleks. As she had stated before, she was tired of war. She would do anything to prevent it, anything. She didn't really have to think when it came to acts that would prevent a war. She wasn't always like that and as she looked back at the Doctor, she really did feel that envy. He seemed to feel her eyes on him and spared a glance her direction.

"Later…" She muttered, loud enough for only him to hear.

"You are men who have no courage," Davros commented and John reeled back as though she had been slapped surprise evident on her face, "You have lost your right to survive."

She stumbled back as a man walked up to Davros and leaned down to hear what the crazed scientist had to say. Her mind just started to flash images of the war from his words. She hadn't been expecting that. You can watch a show enough to know the dialogue or the basic outline of the plot, but certain things can be forgotten. It was such a small line, insignificant really, but one that set off the memories that had been pushed back for far too long. Witches and Wizards didn't do the whole mental health thing, that was more of a mundane thing. If anyone in the magical community had heard that she had gone to a psychiatrist, then her ability to sell potions or even rune infused objects would be gone.

"I say," Harry said as he looked up when the lights began to frantically flicker.

"Is John still near us?" Sarah muttered.

The Doctor looked around and noticed that the Etheric beam locator was going off. He moved back between his two visible companions and moved to lean against the wall. The locator came to a stop when he got in the way of her energy. He looked to his left to make sure no one noticed that there might be another person in the room with them.

"You need to calm down," He muttered to her.

"I am calm," John replied.

He didn't call her out on her white lie and she barely felt the need to hit him for his raised brow. He was lucky that she couldn't just jab him in the side without bringing attention to the fact that she was in the room. She sent him a dirty look before turning back to Davros. Something touched her hand and she didn't even look to see what it was. It moved up to her wrist and she narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Calm, right," The Doctor finally muttered, and he could feel the slight annoyance she was sending his way.

"You have heard Davros' case," Gharman announced, "What he has not made clear that there is another way."

"There is no other way!" Davros exclaimed.

"Production of the Dalek can continue, we can destroy the genetically conditioned creatures and allow the mutation to follow its own course," Gharman continued as if Davros hadn't even spoken, "Our race will survive if it deserves to survive, but let it have all the strengths and weaknesses that we have. Compassion and hate. Let it do good things and evil, but we cannot let it become an unfeeling, heartless machine. That is our choice. Now, we must decide."

"Do you have the time ring?" The Doctor asked John.

She freed her hand and opened the pouch around her neck. She peeked inside of it and found the gold ring. She pulled it out and put it in his hand. He simply pushed it up his arm.

"Now all we need is the tape recording," The Doctor stated.

"You've heard our cases," Davros stated, "I will give you two minutes to decide, then you must answer not only to me but to the future of our race."

The occupants of the room began to speak about how to decide and Davros headed out with the man who had bent down to hear him. It was worrying and the time travelers shared a look. Well, John was excluded from the shared look which was a shame since she was giving a rather impressive scowl. The witch slowly moved from the group and waited at the nearest door. She was eyeing the room with her scowl firmly in place.

Davros wheeled back into the room and fixed everyone with a slight glare. John felt her own appear on her face and briefly glanced at the Doctor. That fight earlier had helped settle her mind and allowed her to think rationally. She still wanted to mess with Davros, but the fact that rationality won out by letting her know that wasn't a good idea. She would get caught and killed.

"You have had ample time to decide," Davros announced, "Those who remain loyal to me and the glorious future of our race, move forward and stand by my side."

Only two scientists joined him. The Doctor rose a brow behind his hair at the two scientists and John joined him in that expression. Those two looked like they were the type of spineless cowards that would want to cause mass genocide of those who didn't agree with them. John walked back to the group and scratched her cheek slightly.

"Now, I wonder where Nyder's going at such a crucial moment," The Doctor muttered as one of the men headed out of the room.

"I think we ought to find out," Harry stated.

"So do I," The Doctor agreed with the slightest of grins, "Let's go."

The four slipped out of the room using a nearby door. Davros was talking and they barely gave him any attention. Harry and Sarah moved around the Doctor and John. They made it to where they would end up in front of Nyder. The man noticed the two humans and backed up, raising the weapon in his hand. A bright streak of white light hit his hand and he dropped it with a hiss of pain.

"What in the blazes?" He hissed.

"Now, where are you going in such a hurry?" The Doctor asked as he picked up the weapon.

"Davros has lost, I am getting away while I can," Nyder lied.

"Oh, somehow that just doesn't ring true," The Doctor commented.

"You could've joined the other side," Sarah said with a slight frown.

"It defiantly would've been easier than attempting to sneak away," John piped up and Nyder looked around the corridor to find where the source of her voice was coming from.

He looked a bit like an owl, and she found a smile making its way on her face. She let out a soft chuckle and the Doctor sent her a look. Sarah wondered if the time lord could see her. John knew that he couldn't, but he could accurately guess where she was. It was a fantastic skill to have and she smiled at the fact that he was somehow including her in this little juncture.

"I suppose you don't even have an answer as to why you wouldn't just change sides," The Doctor commented, "Well then, let's try something else, that tape recording you took, where is it?"

"It was put away in a safe inside Davros' office," Nyder answered.

"Shall we go and see?" The Doctor asked.

"Down here," Nyder pointed.

They headed down the corridor and into the room that Nyder had pointed out. John ghosted across the room and looked at the different panels that decorated the walls. They were lit up, the lights oscillating the different colors. This was different, it wasn't like the show. She shook her head as if she was an idiot, she had to get used to things being different from what she knew. Once it got past the point that the show had ended, she would be seeing things that she had never seen. She reached a hand up and touched one of the lights. It gave her a tiny shock and she shook her hand as a pin and needles feeling began to grow.

"Oh, your quite lovely," A soft voice said to her right.

Her green eyes widened, and she looked towards Sarah. The brunette had seen her, just for a moment. The clothes had been mismatched, but her short raven hair had brought attention to her green eyes. They were dark green, she could akin them to emeralds, yet they seemed to glow with a supernatural property. It had to be her magic.

"Thank you, Sarah," John thanked in a slightly flattered voice, "I think your quite lovely as well, an absolutely killer smile."

Sarah smiled at that. Harry looked over towards the shorter female and wondered what had happened. The Doctor was studying a wall with a slight frown on his face. His features smoothed when he came across the safe. It had been tucked in the wall in the middle of a large Elite corps symbol. He turned to Nyder with a manic grin and the man seemed to shrink under the grin.

"Now be reasonable and open it for us," The Doctor stated.

"Only Davros knows the combination," Nyder stated.

"You can definitely tell a better lie than that," John commented in a dry tone, "Davros is completely tied to his chair, he can't stand up to even get into the safe, not to mention he only has the use of his right hand as shown by the fact that he never moves the left one."

She was getting into her cousin's mindset. The way he could pick out things about people and deduce things. It was easy, having been around him for a very long time. He had even brought her around for some adventures, the drug ring in Baskerville had been something. It was a psychoactive drug that would cause the user to hallucinate large dogs that people have speculated were hell hounds. It was something that had been airborne and had caused her to hallucinate, she would admit that the hell hounds were scarier than the Daleks.

"And Davros never goes anywhere without you, Nyder," The Doctor continued, "So, you must open the safe for him, open it for us."

Nyder hesitated for a moment before reaching up and typing in the passcode. The safe swung open and he pulled the tape out. He handed it to the Doctor and the Doctor quickly put it into his grasp. He looked at the roll of tape with slight dislike.

"Thank you," The Doctor thanked, "Now, let's destroy it."

"Can I?" John asked, "Just put it on the floor."

The Doctor did so and with a quick jab of her wand the roll of tape burst into red and gold flames. That was something she had to work on creating, a fire was easy but changing the color of the flames had been difficult. Sarah and Harry gained surprised faces before questioning the color. It was a bit unnatural, in Harry's opinion. She didn't really care what Harry thought, though she did find his reaction funny.

"Is that destroyed enough for you?" She asked the Doctor in a light tone as the tape turned to ashes, "I could always do more."

"This is fine," The Doctor commented, chuckling just the slightest.

"Makes me miss creating fireworks," She muttered with a sad smile.

The door shut and they all turned towards it. There was a distinct clicking sound as the door was locked. Sarah and Harry began to stress a bit. A hand on Sarah's shoulder helped calm the brunette down.

"We've got the Time Ring, we've destroyed the tape and Davros' power is broken," The Doctor informed them.

"What about the operational Daleks?" Sarah asked.

"I may have taken a few of those down on my way, all self-defense," John stated in a sheepish tone, "I'd rather not see if I can survive a blast from one of their guns."

"I had never thought of that," The Doctor mumbled, "But we can leave Gharman to destroy them."

"That means we can leave," Harry smiled.

"Yes, all we've got to do is touch the time ring," The Doctor nodded as he pushed his sleeve up and they were shown a bare arm.

He stood there for a few seconds before turning to face the door. John couldn't help the slightly fond look that appeared on her face. Of course, he lost it. He wouldn't be the Doctor if he had been able to keep a hold of something that important. Sometimes it felt like the universe liked to mess with him.

"Ah, I must've dropped it during the confrontation in the corridor," The Doctor said.

"Well, now we have to get out of this room," Sarah commented.

Within a few minutes of the Doctor attempting to open it with his sonic screwdriver, he backed away with a frown on his face. John had sat down on the floor and watched the other three. She was waiting to see if they asked her for help. At this point, she wanted to see if they would even contemplate using her magic. She knew that the fact that he had no idea what it could do, was something that made the Doctor consider it dangerous.

"John are you able to blast the doors open," Sarah asked.

"I could try, but I would suggest taking cover since I don't know how the door will react to it," John replied as she quickly sprung to her feet.

The three moved towards the desk and she eyed the wall. She pushed her sleeves away from her hands and flicked her wand. She was good with silent magic, and somewhat able to use wandless, and the doors let out a groan at her first attempt. She huffed quietly and increased the power behind her second attempt. It had been a little too much power and the doors flew off their hinges, taking a chunk of the wall with them.

"Ah, whoops," John weakly chuckled.

A man that was a bit misshapen appeared and she tilted her head slightly as he stared at the fallen doors with wide eyes. She felt a bit sheepish about the fact that she had destroyed them, and a part of the wall. The Doctor moved from behind the desk where the other three had taken their shelter. Sarah and Harry joined, and Sarah's expression lit up at the sight of the man.

"Sevrin!" She exclaimed.

"I haven't much time," Sevrin explained, "The Thals have set the explosives at the entrance, they'll detonate as soon as they're ready."

"What?" Sarah asked in surprise.

"Give me a moment to find the time ring," The Doctor requested.

He was gone for a few seconds before he ran back to the room. Sevrin looked behind him to see a couple of Daleks taking chase. They headed out of Davros' office and began to run down one of the corridors. They came across another and Servin looked up.

"We're not far from the main entrance," Sevrin stated, "If we can get through the next section, we'll be safe."

"Sarah, take this," The Doctor stated as he handed her the time ring.

"What are you going to do?" Sarah questioned him as she placed it around her wrist.

"I'm going back to the incubator room," The Doctor informed her, "This time I'm going to blow it up."

"Let us come with you," Sarah pleaded.

"No, get out of here," The Doctor ordered in a serious tone, "Hurry, now go!"

He moved to the opposite direction of the main entrance and the other's headed outside. John stood there for a few seconds before tearing off after the Doctor. He made a face at the fact that she was following behind him. She rolled his eyes.

"Sexy asked that I keep an eye on you," She stated with a slight smile.

"Sexy?" He questioned.

"That's what the Tardis likes being called," She chuckled, "She is indeed a very sexy ship."

It wasn't the oddest thing that a companion had said to him, though it was in the top ten. They took a turn and easily made it to the corridor that connected to the incubation room. He spotted the wire and moved towards them. John noticed two Daleks and she grabbed onto his arm and pulled him out of the way as they shot at the spot he had previously been. They took cover behind a wall.

"Sorry for the rough yank there," John apologized as the Doctor rubbed at his shoulder with a wince, "I'd rather not watch you get shot."

He simply nodded at that as he moved to reach for the wires. One of the Dalek's fired at him and he pulled his arm back just in the nick of time. John let out a soft sigh at that. The Dalek began to slowly move forward and he found her hand and pulled her to her feet. They began to run away. She didn't like the idea of retreating, but the loud explosion that sounded behind them caused her to make a face. The Doctor tugged on her hand a bit more and increased the pace that they ran at.

"You run fast for an older man," She commented.

"One is only as old as they feel," He quipped with a wink.

She snorted at that and he grinned. There was a light to his eyes that she couldn't help but find joy in. It was one that was filled with mischief and curiosity. It helped her to feel something she hadn't felt since before the war, though she had felt it for a second after she looked through the time vortex she wasn't counting that. It hadn't really been her.

"You move fast for a woman wearing combat boots," He commented.

"Can you actually see me?" She asked him with a slight frown, "You keep giving me mixed signals about it."

He simply tapped his nose and she sent him an annoyed look at that. She rolled her eyes slightly when they came across the bunker exit. They sprinted out of the corridor and through the narrow gap in the doors. They heard something behind them and picked up speed. It had to be Daleks.

"Quickly!" Sarah called to them.

The two headed over to the other two and once they were safe the entire place shook due to the massive explosion. The Doctor moved to watch something on a nearby monitor and dragged John with him. No one said anything about the way that he had his hand behind him clutching air. They were all too preoccupied with watching the dome fall apart.

"The incubator room," Sarah started, "Were you able to do anything?"

"Yes," the Doctor answered as he looked away from the monitor, "With a little help from a Dalek, but I'm afraid I've only delayed them for a short time, a thousand years at the most."

"What?" Sarah asked.

"In the total time scale, no more than that," He answered.

That had been confusing to both Sarah and John. John gave him a look at that as all the farewells were said. She was still being held onto by him. She was amazed at how his hand easily dwarfed hers. She did want her hand back though.

"You have such delicate hands for someone who holds such power," The Doctor commented.

"The Detective Inspector liked to call them baby bitch hands," She shrugged, "I never understood it since I usually kept to my own devices, wasn't like Sherlock who created chaos wherever he went."

"You're one of those who likes solitude," He muttered.

"I lived through a war, Doctor," She defended her voice breaking with some of the pent up grief she had, "I watched people I had known for years be killed in front of me, I took lives as well, that's not something that can easily be overcome."

It was silent between the two and she felt his hold on her hand tighten. It had to be because of her momentary lapse of emotion. Her throat constricted and she felt all the grief she pushed back come rising to the surface. She clenched her jaw and refused to allow the tears to fall. She pushed it back down once again. Sarah came up to the Doctor and handed him the time ring.

"All right, everyone hands on the time ring," He stated.

They all moved and placed their hands on it. John shot him an annoyed expression as he continued to hold onto her hand. It then dawned on her that she could potentially be lost while traveling by time ring. She didn't want to experience that. It didn't sound like it would be pleasant.

"You don't seem too disappointed," Sarah commented, "We've failed, haven't we?"

"Failed? No, not really," The Doctor stated as the time ring began to pull them through space and time, "You see, I know that although the Daleks will create havoc and destruction for millions of years, I know that out of their evil must come something good."

"That's one hell of a trade-off," John stated, and he smiled at that.


	6. 6

Chapter 6

_Space Station Mystery_

* * *

If anyone on the ark had been keeping an eye on the transmat chambers they would've noticed four people materializing within. Two gentlemen, one taller than the entire group and easily standing over six feet tall with an oddly long scarf with multiple stripes, and the other man, who was dressed rather impeccably, looked towards the two women that had materialized with them. It was with raised brows that they looked at the raven-haired woman who was currently bent over with her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath. Quite a position for a woman to find herself in.

"I say," Harry commented as he looked at John.

"I'm going to hit whoever designed the time ring," John muttered as she attempted to calm her hearts down.

Both were beating quite fast for her. She wasn't used to the doubled heartbeat. It was racing in her ears and making it a bit difficult to hear. It was a good thing that she didn't react when a small hand placed itself on her back.

"I can't say I blame you for that," Sarah chuckled lowly before turning to the Doctor, "We've made it haven't we?"

"Of course, we've made it," He stated as he looked around the transmat room, "Did you think we wouldn't?"

"Well, in these past few weeks, yes," Sarah stated without even needing to think about it.

"The only thing that can go wrong with a time ring is a molecular short circuit," John stated as she slowly stood up straight and looked around with a curious expression, "Nice to know that didn't happen, fixed my atoms right up actually. Now, where is sexy?"

"Sexy?" Harry and Sarah asked.

"Sorry, where is the Tardis?" John corrected herself.

"Well, it probably hasn't arrived yet," The Doctor answered, and all eyes turned to him, "We're a little early."

"What do you mean by early?" Sarah questioned while narrowing her eyes.

"The Tardis is drifting back in time, we just have to wait for her to turn up," The Doctor informed them.

"Brilliant," John muttered, "Simply fantastic."

The Doctor made a face at the slight sarcasm that dripped in her voice. She paused as she went to continue with her muttering and gained an apologetic expression to her face. He watched as she moved around the transmat with curiosity on her face. Her green eyes moving side to side as she looked at the different buttons to the different consoles. She had her hands behind her back as she walked around and a long stick was between her fingers, being twirled around like a baton as she thought.

"I say, Doctor, do you want this ring thing?" Harry asked motioning towards the time ring.

"What, that?" The Doctor asked as he looked towards the young man.

"Yes," Harry confirmed.

"No," The Doctor gave a negative, "You take good care of it, Harry."

"Of course, I will," Harry smiled, "Thank you."

The younger man went and reached for the golden ring. Just as his fingers grazed it, it vanished. Harry gained a wry expression before turning to the face a now grinning Doctor. He had wanted that as a memento of his travels.

"You knew that was going to happen, didn't you," Harry stated.

The Doctor tapped his nose and the group continued to look around the room. They were waisting time until the Tardis arrived. The other two didn't know what to make of the witch that had finally become visible. John wanted to explore a bit since she could appreciate it more.

"That was mean, funny, but mean," She informed the Doctor as he came her way.

"Never play a practical joke on someone before?" He asked her.

"Not really, I usually spend my time in libraries doing research," She admitted, "Never found the time."

"Interesting," He murmured, "What kind of library?"

"One filled to the brim with old books," She smiled as she thought about the school library, "All sorts of magical topics, though the restricted section was a bit dark."

She gained a slight wince at the memory of a rather nasty book that bit people who tried to read it. Part of her wanted to rub a hand against her left wrist where she herself had been bitten. It was a book on vampires made by vampires. No wonder it bit people.

"Only a bit?" He questioned with a slight grin.

"Yeah, just a bit," She grinned back.

The door to the Transmat room slid open and a body fell through the doorway. All eyes turned towards it and Harry was the first one to react to it. He rushed towards the body that was dressed in clothes that looked like they had crawled out of the seventies. John would admit that it did have some futuristic qualities, especially the fabric. There was something on the back of the man's neck that was dimly glowing. It stopped after a small flicker, her nose scrunched as a sickly-sweet smell hit her.

"He's dead," Harry stated as he moved away from the man's body, "And for quite some time as well."

"How long?" The Doctor asked.

"I'd say a week or two," Harry answered, "There's very little sign of putrefaction, though the smell is there."

"This is a sterile atmosphere," The Doctor commented in an offhanded manner.

"There's no sign of injury," Harry continued, "There's nothing to indicate the cause of death."

"How would he have been left sitting against the door for a week, no more than two?" John asked.

"There's something seriously wrong here," The Doctor answered, "Come on."

He moved through the door and they followed. Sarah and John were walking together and looking around with curiosity on their faces. As much as the idea of something being wrong on the station caused some worry, they loved the idea of exploring a giant space station. Sarah attempted to keep a straight face as her newfound friend fell face first after tripping over an arm.

"Are you all right?" She asked.

"I'm absolutely fantastic," John replied as she clambered up to her feet.

Sarah watched as she licked her lower lip slightly. It had split open and she was surprised to see something glittering oozing out instead of the deep red that was blood. She looked away and noticed that the Doctor was giving the taller woman an amused expression. It was a bit funny how she had just allowed herself to face plant, she didn't even try to stop herself from falling.

They continued walking; a bit more conscious about the bodies that were on the floor and headed towards a door that was labeled Q section. The Doctor tried to open it and frowned. John knew better than to fire an unlocking charm at it, she'd probably fry the system. It didn't have the runes she put on electronics to make them work with magic, it surprised her that the Tardis didn't really need them. She figured that it was the time vortex that allowed her magic to be used on the Tardis without any problems.

Well, small spells at least.

"Is it jammed?" Sarah asked with a slight frown.

"The control's locked," The Doctor answered.

"And I can't just blast it open this time," John stated, "If I were to misjudge the amount of magic behind the spell and blast them through a wall, well…it might not be fun in the vacuum of space."

"That's positively morbid," Harry informed her.

"Absolutely," She smiled before turning towards the Doctor, "There has to be a way of opening it, right?"

He didn't give her an answer as he began to use a normal screwdriver to try and force the lock open. Sarah let out a soft sigh at that and ran a hand through her hair. It had grown long again, she was thinking about keeping it at that length, sure the short bob she had before was practical, but she rather liked it long.

"Are you sure we're in the right place, Doctor?" Sarah asked, "This doesn't look like our Ark."

"Different point in time," John answered for him as she moved towards the wall to look out the small porthole, "The technology is different from the last time you lot were here."

"So, this is before the time of the solar flares, when the Earth was evacuated," Harry murmured.

"Thousand of years before," The Doctor stated with a slight grin.

"I'm not even going to think about it," Sarah stated as she placed a hand against her forehead, "I'll only get a headache."

"All you need to remember is that this is where we parted company with the Tardis," The Doctor commented as he continued to mess with the lock, he stopped as if a sudden thought occurred to him.

"What is it?" Sarah questioned him.

"If they've changed things around," The Doctor started as he turned towards the three, "Then the Tardis might materialize in the forward control rooms."

"Then our only hope of finding the Tardis lies in your electrician skills," John commented in a slightly dry tone.

He didn't have a comment for that. Harry and Sarah decided to watch the Doctor in case he needed help. John sighed quietly and moved to look around. It was strange to be walking around an area that she had been in only a few days before. She ran a hand through her hair as she thought about the theory of it all.

She watched as colors danced across a control board and felt some amusement rise in her. It seemed that intelligent life liked to follow a pattern, though the rest of the universe ran on a mauve alert not red. She pressed a hand against her mouth as a headache began to form. Her body wasn't completely prepared for the change it was going through. If she had to liken it to something, it would be a regeneration that had ended up being g violent.

The Huon particles in her body were raging like a storm. All the frequencies on the station were irritating the newly formed flesh. Her eyes widened as that dawned on her. She essentially regenerated, only changing from atoms to a solid form. She wondered what that entailed. What the problems that would arise from that.

She looked towards the Doctor. He was still working on opening the lock on the door. The screws were particularly stubborn and refused to budge. She rubbed the tips of her fingers together and walked towards Sarah. When she reached the shorter brunette, the Doctor pried the metal on the lock off. He then instantly put his arm into the mechanism. John immediately moved to hold onto the door so it wouldn't remove his limb.

"Can you reach?" Sarah asked him.

"Yes, I think so," The Doctor grunted slightly as he blindly searched with his hand, "If you could put more weight on the door to stop it from moving suddenly, I'd be very thankful. I'm rather attached to this arm, it's so handy."

"Be glad my hands are busy," John told him as Sarah and Harry joined her in holding the door, "I'd smack you for that one."

The Doctor's strained expression became slightly cheeky at that. He moved forward a bit and his hand brushed against something that was jutting out of the wall. He pressed it and the action was immediate. The door slid to the right and he was dragged along with it, much like a piece of luggage.

"Doctor!" Sarah and John exclaimed at the same time.

The three quickly went through the open door and it quickly slammed shut behind them. Sarah pushed the Doctor's arm through the hole and John pressed the button. A disheveled Doctor walked through the doorway and John felt her lips quirk upwards in a slight smile. A sharp pain came from her split bottom lip and her smile turned into a slight grimace.

"This way," The Doctor said as he began to walk down a small corridor.

The others followed. They walked into a room that looked nearly identical to the one they had just left. Even the bodies strewn about the floor were in similar positions to the other room. Sarah began to eye the Doctor with slight suspicion.

"Didn't we just leave this room?" She asked.

"No, this is the forward control room," The Doctor answered.

"Do…Do humans just end up using kits to make rooms or something?" John asked, she may have all the technical information but her historical was spotty at best.

"A kit is easy to use, just set it up and move on," The Doctor supplied.

"Ah," John made a sound of understanding at that.

Honestly, it made sense. She felt her lips quirk up in a smile at that. Of course, the magical community never used kits. They made everything from the ground up, rune work included in most of the brickwork of the buildings. She thought back to her family home, the ancestral home of all things, and scouring the brickwork and studying the runes that helped protect it and keep it from falling apart.

"Well, the Tardis doesn't seem to be here either," Harry commented, "Does it."

"No, but the Time Ring is designed with a slight safety margin," The Doctor explained, "We can expect it to arrive soon."

"Doctor, do you expect me to believe that that old police box is just going to materialize out of nothing?" Harry dryly asked.

"Have some imagination Sully," John told him with a slight grin.

Her grin fell when she felt something dig into her back. Her left hand twitched and she stopped herself from attacking whoever was behind her. She swallowed thickly and attempted to calm down, her hearts were too loud for her. It was starting to get hard to hear over the double pulse.

"Get your hands up!" A voice stated and the others jumped in surprise, and the gun was pressed harder into her back and she slowly started to raise her hands, "I said, get your hands up!"

"Now, who are you?" A second voice asked, and John went to see what they looked like but the gun in her back moved and she stopped, "How'd you get here?"

"I'm the Doctor," The Doctor stated, "This is Sarah Jane Smith, Harry Sullivan, and Johana Watson. We're travelers."

"You mind removing your gun from my back?" John asked as she gave a pleasant smile, "It's rather distracting."

The gun was removed from her back and she moved away from the two men. They were dressed in clothing that wouldn't look out of place on Skaro. She placed her hands into the pockets of her shorts and moved to stand behind the Doctor. She didn't like being in the line of sight of someone who had threatened her. The door slid open and a man walked in.

"You'd better step in here, commander," He stated.

"What is it?" The Commander asked.

"See for yourself," He replied.

"Watch them," The Commander ordered the man who had been behind John.

"Follow them," The man stated as he jerked his gun to the side, "Come on, move."

They began to walk, and the Doctor spared a glance behind him. John was looking at the man who was behind them. It was from the corner of her eyes, but her expression was cautious and wary. Her eyes were hard, the color resembling a dark jade than the normal emerald, and guarded. He moved his hand back and gently grasped onto her's. He could feel how tense she was through her hands. He released her hand and noticed a slight twitch to her left hand as her fingers moved towards the sleeve of her shirt. He was curious as to what she was reaching for.

"You have something hidden in your sleeve?" He asked her in a low mumble.

"My wand," She answered in a tone just as low.

He felt his curiosity peek at that. A wand, that was a piece of wood. He wanted to ask her to see what it looked like. What made it tick, what it did to help her with her magic. She pressed a finger against her chin and sent him a slightly amused expression. His curiosity was plastered on his face and his eyes had that small glint to them.

"I'd rather not have it taken from me by trigger happy over there," John informed him as she moved to walk beside him.

"How does it work?" He asked her.

"It's a foci," She replied, "I have a magical core that's found in my heart, it helps me to keep it from lashing out."

"Lash out?" He questioned with a raised brow.

"Magic responds to emotion," She answered in a calm tone, "It can cause destruction if left unchecked, I once broke a wall down when I was a child."

He wondered what had brought about such a strong emotion to cause that much destruction. He looked at her face and noticed the clenched jaw. The fact that it was paired with grief and nostalgia told him it had been something personal. He wasn't that socially inept to ask. Her expression changed to surprise and he looked to see what she was staring at. He rushed forward as he saw someone on the ground breathing heavily.

"What are you going to do?" He asked the Commander who was ready to shoot the man.

"Get back," the Commander ordered," He's got the plague, and this is the only way to deal with it."

"This man is sick," The Doctor stated with a frown, "He needs treatment."

"There is no treatment," The Commander growled, "All we can try to do is stop the infection from spreading."

"That makes no sense," John commented, "Don't you have any doctors on this station?"

"They all died first," The man, who had decided she was dangerous to warrant a gun to the back, stated.

"My colleague is a doctor of medicine and I'm a doctor of many things," The Doctor stated, "If we could examine him-"

"Commander, I'm afraid you'll have to kill these people too," A different man stated as he cut off the Doctor, "They've brought the plague in here."

"Congratulations, you brought the entire IQ of the station down by that horrible deduction," John stated as she channeled her inner Holmes.

"Who's the homicidal maniac?" The Doctor asked as Sarah elbowed John for her comment.

"You say your doctors," The commander started as he eyed the group, "Did Earth Centre send you?"

"Yes, we're from Earth," The Doctor nodded as Harry watched the sick man with concern on his face, "We want to help you."

"Help us?" The Homicidal maniac asked with a slight scoff, "Don't you realize that you've brought the infection through from the after section?"

"Don't be daft," Sarah stated with a frown, "How could we have brought it through when he's infected, and we aren't."

"Statistically it wouldn't work," John nodded her agreement, "As I said, lowers the IQ of the entire station."

"I don't believe you've got the plague here, Commander," The Doctor commented.

"According to our medical team, it is," The Commander defended.

"Yes, but as you already informed us the medical team was the first to go down," John stated and all eyes turned towards her, "It's brilliant from a macabre point of view, if you want to start taking over something start by getting rid of the medical team."

"Get rid of the medical team you can create confusion on what is going on," The Commander continued easily figuring out where her train of thought was going, "You think this is sabotage?"

"Anything is a possibility at this juncture," She stated with a very small smile, "Just hope that I'm wrong about this, but now you have a new medical team."

The four gained pleasant expressions as the station workers stared at them. They were trying to make themselves seem welcoming. It wasn't like they were going to attack the workers. At this point, they just wanted to help the man that was dying on the floor.

"All right, you can examine him," The Commander nodded at them.

"Thank you," The Doctor thanked with a slight grin.

"But not here," The Commander continued as he held up a hand, "It'll have to be done in the crew quarters, the control room must be kept operational."

"Oh yes, at all costs," The Maniac nodded in agreement.

"That's the smartest thing he's said since we got here," John muttered to herself as he left the room they were in.

"John," Sarah stated in surprise before chuckling slightly.

It wasn't completely mean spirited, more like words brought about by annoyance. Sarah looked at her friend and noticed the ghostly pallor of her skin and the dark circles under her eyes. John looked tired, like any moment she would drop on them. She had a feeling that being visible again was putting a strain on her body.

"Lester, help the doctors with him," The Commander ordered the remaining man, "I'll take over the console."

"Once the infection develops, they only have a few minutes to live," Lester informed us as the Commander left them.

"We'll help you," Sarah offered as she placed a hand on John's shoulder.

Lester raised his brows and handed Sarah his weapon. Sarah held it away from her body with a strange expression on her face. She wasn't the biggest fan of guns but being friends with the Brigadier was enough for her to have some training in firearms. She watched as Harry and Lester picked up the man with slight difficulty. John watched before sighing quietly.

"_Levo_." Sarah heard John whisper.

Suddenly, the two men seemed to be able to pick up the sick man and John stumbled a bit. Sarah moved forward to catch her friend who quickly regained her balance. John wiped under her nose as she felt something trickle from it. Gold blood stained the sleeve of her dress shirt and she gave a slight grimace.

"Everything all right?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah, just a bit strained at the moment," John truthfully answered, "I'm in the need of some rest, I think I've been awake since the time you lot first appeared on space station Nerva."

She'd been awake for a couple weeks straight. Sarah was wondering how on Earth her friend hadn't started to hallucinate yet. The mind could go seventy-two hours without sleep before hallucination sets in. Unless she was hallucinating and was just ignoring it. With the way that she brushed off injuries that seemed highly likely.

They made it to the crew quarters and John stood back as Harry and Sarah started to diagnose the man. The man's name was Warner, something that John had to find out by asking Lester, and his veins were protruding from his skin and glowing a fluorescent pink. She discreetly took out her wand and cast a diagnosis charm. She flicked it back up into her sleeve where it holstered. Words formed on the palm of her left hand and she narrowed her eyes.

_Poison_.

Warner had been poisoned. That meant that all the men had been killed the same way. She brought a hand up to her face and tapped a finger against her bottom lip. She was ignoring the conversation in favor of thinking some things through. She wondered if a Bezoar would work on the type of poison running through the man's veins. A magical one would, but did she have any?

That was something that caused her to pause. She would have to ask the Doctor for a small trip to London to see if the small magical community was even there. If it was, she could always confound an atm machine or bank teller for some pounds so she could continue making potions, it was the items like bezoars and boomslang skin that she had problems getting. There were several things in her briefcase that would make the seasoned potion maker shed a tear of awe.

"You seem to be in deep thought about something," A voice commented.

"Trying to figure out if the magical community is even in this London," She stated in a slightly annoyed tone, "I would like to continue making potions, though I don't really need anything since I have everything to make Dittany."

"Everything you said is confusing to someone who is not familiar with your world," The voice continued.

"Thank you, Doctor," She grinned, "I bet if you started telling me about Gallifreyan laws and politics I wouldn't have the foggiest idea of what you were saying."

He gave a slight grin at that. Her grin turned into a tired smile and a quiet, closed mouth yawn went through her body. She really needed some sleep. A sudden thought occurred to her and she patted down her pockets before finding something.

"Here," John stated as she held out a small rock to him, "It's covered in protective ruins, I give them to friends."

"What does it protect from?" He asked.

"Well magic for one," She stated as she thought about it, "Fire, bad weather, a bit of good luck is mixed in there, and it will warm up if you are in the presence of danger to make sure that you have plenty of time to get away."

"I must ask if you have any books that explain your magic," He muttered as he placed the stone in the pocket of his vest and buttoned it up.

"After I get some rest, I will make sure to look through my books to find you some," She smiled at him, "I'll stay with Sarah and make sure she has someone to watch her back."

He nodded at that and moved to talk to the others. She found another stone in her pocket and opened her pouch discreetly. She whispered something and a long metal rod came out from the depth. She caught it and closed the pouch. She could tell that Chariot was starting to get antsy about being stuck in the pouch.

She began to scratch at the surface of the rock with her tongue between her teeth. She looked up every so often and decided to make sure she was standing near Sarah in case she was needed. She finished one of the runes and placed the rock and rod in her pocket, she was getting a bad feeling. With a flick of her wrist, her wand came out into play and her eyes narrowed. She looked around the room before, her eyes moving from side to side as she studied everything. A flash of silver caught her eyes and a quick stunner left her wand.

"John!?" Sarah questioned in surprise as she jumped out of the chair she had been sitting in and stared at a silver snake.

"Don't go near it," John ordered in a voice that was stronger than the soft tone she usually spoke in, "I believe we've found a rat and I don't know if my stunner will keep it down."

The Doctor came rushing in, having heard Sarah exclaim. He took one look at the downed snake and threw something at it. It shriveled up and the tense atmosphere in the room started to dissipate. Harry rushed in next and looked at the shriveled silver snake.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Found a rat," Sarah answered.

"It's what's been poisoning the men in the station," The Doctor stated as John straightened up and tightened her grip on a long stick in her hand.

"Is this thing still dangerous, Doctor?" The Commander asked.

No one had really heard him walk into the room, but he had heard everything. The Doctor turned to look at him as Sarah moved to John to thank the dark-haired woman. John was a bit bashful at being thanked since she had just done something she would do for any of her friends. If she cared about someone, she would do everything she could to make sure they were protected. The slight pink tint to her cheeks was endearing to them.

"No, not anymore," The Doctor finally replied, "But there are bound to be others around."

"Everyone needs to stay with someone at all times," John stated, "There's something not right about this whole situation."

"It's sabotage," The Doctor told her, "Sorry, but your line of thinking had been right."

"Ah, damn," John muttered, "Par for the course though."

He had no idea what she meant by that. She knew it was the second time that she had been right about something being wrong at this station. She was wracking her brain and trying to figure out what episode they were in. She frowned as it dawned on her. Cybermen, she almost let out a sigh at that. She was starting to get into episodes that she hadn't seen that much of or didn't have the home video releases of. The only ones she had no knowledge of but had heard of it was _the pyramid of mars _and the one about Morbius. She didn't really know how that was going to end.

"What kind of sabotage are we talking about?" The Commander asked.

"Someone's taken the pentalium drive," The Doctor replied.

"But who?" The Commander asked as John looked toward the silver snake once again and knelt to see what the Doctor had thrown on it.

"Who removed the tape from your radio log?" The Doctor asked, "Who used cybermats to murder your crew? And who's desperate to break all communication between this beacon and Voga?"

"Who might be listening in on this conversation," John commented as she swiped up some of the excess powder from the floor, the tip of her finger glittered much like her blood.

"You mean Kellman," The Commander stated.

"Exactly, Kellman, your friendly exographer must be working for the cybermen," The Doctor confirmed.

"I'll get Kellman," The Commander informed them.

"Has anyone tried the transmats yet or even communications?" Sarah asked, "Perhaps there is someone on the planet that could help us."

"That could be possible," John muttered in thought as she brushed her hands off and stood up, "They might have a grudge against the cybermen as well."

"It's worth a shot," Harry stated.

"Sarah, Harry, John," The Doctor told them, "Try and contact the planet voga if you can get their assistance it would be of great help."

"Right," John nodded and the three took off down a corridor.

He watched them for a few seconds before moving to talk to the commander. If cybermen were involved, then something was seriously wrong. He had hoped that he wasn't going to see them again so early in this regeneration. They were always a pain to deal with since they didn't understand human logic anymore.

Sarah watched as John sat down in one of the silver plastic chairs and pressed a few buttons. John was reaching into her new information within her brain to try and get some sort of signal. If this was something she had known before the change then she would've already had a signal going. She flipped a blue switch and frowned slightly. It was like someone had slashed a wire to make sure no signal could get out.

She moved from the chair and opened one of the metal panels. Harry and Sarah made a sound of surprise as she put both of her arms in and pulled out some of the wirings. It was a move that reminded them of the Doctor. Sarah moved the chair back a bit, so John had more room to move about.

"It looks like someone sabotaged the communications console," John stated, "It would be easier to fix the transmats and send someone down to the planet than to fix this."

"But can you?" Sarah asked with a small frown.

"Well, the information is there, but the experience isn't," She replied, "It's going to take me a while to sort out all of these wires."

Harry took a seat at that, he figured that he was safer being around John than the Doctor for the moment. She had taken down that, he made a face as he tried to remember what the Doctor had called it, ah, right the cybermat. She had taken it down with ease before it hurt Sarah. She reminded him of the stories about the Doctor when he had started working with UNIT, the stories about the older gentleman with white hair and Victorian clothing had been incredible. The man he had met was indeed incredible but different from the stories.

They sat there for the better part of an hour until a sudden spark got their attention. John was in the process of standing up with a slight grin on her face. She pressed a switch and a screen turned on, it was a bit staticky at first, but soon a clear picture began to form. The creatures of Voga were humanoid and had a goldish tint to their skin, the long white hair and beards got her attention. She was reminded of the goblins from the bank, though she had more respect for the goblins.

"We of Voga have no wish to talk to the humans of Nerva." The alien stated.

"Well, I'm not a human," John stated with a slight smile and she felt her magic shiver as she finally said something that was true about herself, "I'm making the call to warn of incoming danger."

"What danger do you believe is coming to Voga?" The creature asked with a curious expression on its face.

"Cybermen are in the area and have been attacking Nerva," She stated in a no-nonsense tone that she usually used in the political meetings she was forced to go to, "They've created a poison that is acting like a plague, I believe they want to destroy your planet."

"You're lying," the creature stated, and she finally grasped onto the male tone of its voice, "Now tell the truth."

"That is the truth that we have deduced and you better watch who you call a liar," She hissed and she clenched her left hand where the scars of words could be seen on the back of her hand, "I take particular offense to being called a liar."

She had read some of the papers that the mundane born had been writing. Of course, she had to get Umbridge right of all things. She narrowed her eyes at the memory of writing with a quill that sliced the words into one's hands. It was one of the first things that she made illegal, the woman used a tool of torture. _I will not lie and respect my superiors_, oh how she got back at the frog-like woman for that. Looked more like a toad than she had before and she had no clue how to reverse it, too much anger behind her spell.

"John," Sarah mumbled before jabbing her in the side.

"Right, how can we prove that we are telling the truth and we mean no harm to you or your planet?" John asked, "My friends and I are not with Nerva, but are trying to stop the Cybermen."

"Have one of your own go down to the surface," He replied, "That will show us in good faith."

He stopped the communication and John bit her lip. She sighed and turned towards her two friends. Harry and Sarah shared a look and John did something that surprised them. She reached into her shirt and pulled out a strange pouch. Once opened her hand went in all the way to the shoulder.

"Oh god, she's Mary Poppins," Sarah joked.

"Oh, you lot know of Unspeakable Poppins?" John asked in surprise, "Then again she did make quite an impression on those she met, I heard someone wrote a book about her, ah there it is."

"What are you going to do?" Harry asked her.

"Some quick rune work on some items that won't look out of place on your person," She replied as she pulled out a silver bracelet and a pair of cufflinks, "I'm quite good at creating items for protection."

She brought out a stick from her left sleeve and they stared at the straight stick that had a handle on it. Her wand had been one that was stuck on the shelf for a very long time before it chose her. It was created in a style that was no longer popular. The wand had its own handle that had patterns cut carefully cut into it to make a series of small swirls on the wood. Cedar with a phoenix feather core, around fourteen inches long and 'neat' by words of the person who had sold it to her, apparently it wasn't very flexible which worked in her favor during the war. It would never betray her.

They watched as strange symbols, that were usually seen on old rocks and buildings from medieval times that had disappeared after that time period, started to form on the silver objects that John had found in her pouch. Smaller symbols were seen on the cuff links while the ones on the bracelets looked like they were formed from small jewels that glowed with power. After a few seconds, she stopped and held out the objects to the two.

"Thank you," Harry thanked as he easily put the links on his cuffs.

"Do you do this for all your friends?" Sarah asked as she put on the bracelet.

"Yeah, after the war especially," John admitted before realizing she had just talked about the war, "You get tired of losing people after a while."

The two didn't know how to react to that as John moved to fix the transmats. She moved a couple of the wires around and it let out a hum that she could feel. It wasn't as bad in a physical form that it had been when she was nothing but atoms. It was still annoying.

"I'll stay up here," John told them, "Just press the circle on your bracelet and I'll see if I can send help."

"Our witch in our corner," Sarah joked through her nerves.

"Just be careful," John told them as they got into the transmat area, "Beaming you down now."

She pressed a red button and they vanished. She blinked at that and rubbed at her ears when they began to ring. Ah, the transmats were an annoyance she was starting to dislike. She stopped rubbing her ears and moved towards the console to keep a watch in case someone else tried to get onto the station or planet surface. She was surprised when the Doctor and the Commander walked into the room.

"Sarah and Harry are on the surface to talk to the Vogan's," She immediately informed him, "All in good faith, the Vogan didn't want me going down so I sent them with some protection."

"The Transmats are working?" He asked her as he took a seat at the console.

"They keep going from working to broken and back again," She stated, she pressed a button and he heard a strange buzzing in his ears, "That's the frequency I keep getting and I can't really repair the wires."

"Why not?" he asked as he moved closer.

"Magic and technology doesn't mesh well together unless I've transcribed some runes into the system," She whispered, "Makes it explode and I believe we need the station to be in working order."

"That is the idea," The Doctor stated as he moved back, "You don't have a sonic device, do you?"

"No, but that does sound like one hell of an innuendo," She answered as she moved a few more wires around and tried to fix the transmats again, "What are you planning to do Commander?"

"As Space Service Commander, there are certain crimes where I can order immediate execution," He replied as he moved towards the man she hadn't noticed before.

"Is that the rat?" She quietly asked the Doctor.

"Yes, he's killed quite a few people," The Doctor answered with a slight frown as he moved to press a few buttons.

"A few," She muttered as she pressed a wire together and had a shock go through her arms.

"You have murdered forty-seven members of my crew and jeopardized our mission," The Commander hissed at the man.

"You're talking rubbish, commander," The man replied.

"Shooting's too good for him," Lester stated as he came in and took a place at the door so he could stop the man from running.

"So, what's it going to be, Kellman?" The Commander questioned.

"Be?" Kellman questioned.

"Well, you have two options," John stated as she looked at a few more wires, "Either informed them where the pentalium drive is which would be helpful in getting the transmats to work again, or you can be executed."

"You lot don't frighten me," Kellman stated.

"Hold onto these," John told the Doctor as she held out the wires.

He took hold of them and watched her in curiosity. He had no clue what she was about to do. She got up to her feet and slowly walked towards Kellman. The man stood his ground but almost faltered at the look in her eyes. They were dark and promised pain. Cold and dangerous is a way he would describe her; it was such a switch in personality from earlier. He couldn't help but think of her demeanor as a preditor to her prey.

"Tell me, have you ever been in the midst of war?" John asked in a deceptively soft tone, Armageddon had come out to play, "Ever watch friends and family fall one by one?"

"No," Kellman replied in a calm tone though his heart had begun to race in his chest.

"Ah, so you've never seen what war can do," John stated as she got closer to him and began to slowly circle him, "I have, and it's horrible. Being in the front lines you get the smell of death stuck in your clothing and hair. You watch as those around you that you grew up with and cared about fall to the ground and stay down, you watch them be buried one by one afterward."

Kellman leaned away from her as she stopped walking. Her expression was hard, and he felt his legs grow weak. It felt like she was emanating a crackling power that he couldn't explain. Her hair was frizzed, and he could see it growing messier as the power continued to escalate. His eyes caught sight of the Doctor and how the man was watching her in slight concern.

"And you want to put that kind of genocide on a planet that just wants to be left alone?" John asked in an annoyed tone, "Why don't you feel what war is like."

She placed a hand on his shoulder, and he screwed his eyes shut as feelings of deep grief and pain hit him it was enough to make his knees weak. She was able to push emotions like this through touch and magic. It was what she was feeling, and she made sure he knew exactly what war felt like. He let out a sound and she removed her hand.

"What's it feel like?" She asked him.

"What are you?" Kellman asked in slight fear as he backed away slightly.

"I'm Armageddon," She answered, "I can be your greatest fear and enemy if you continue through with this. You know this, so make the right choice."

"It's around my neck," Kellman whispered, "Take it."

"Thank you for your cooperation," She stated as she took the drive from around his neck and tossed it to the Doctor, "Now we can get the transmat up and running to make sure Harry and Sarah are able to get back again."

"We'll keep Kellman under surveillance, do what you lot have to do," The Commander informed them.

"Right," The Doctor nodded.

Kellman was escorted out of the room by Lester and the Commander. The two men seemed surprised by how shaken the man was. He was usually so calm and collected. Whatever John had done, or rather Armageddon, it was enough to completely scare the man into submission. They knew better than to mess with her if she could do that to Kellman.

"What was that?" The Doctor asked John as she began to help reinstall the pentalium drive.

"Armageddon?" John asked, "You are not yet at friendship level five to activate my tragic backstory, give me some more time Doctor."

"She's quite scary when she wants to be," The Doctor muttered, and John gave a tired smile.

"Armageddon is still a part of me you know," John stated in slight amusement, "Nice to know that I can still be scary."

He felt a smile appear on his own face at that. It was one of those things that he needed to take in strides. Time Lords had a select few that were in a similar boat to her. Perhaps it was a split personality brought about by a traumatic experience, or even an entity living inside her head. He would love to see what goes on inside her head.

"What friendship level am I at currently?" He joked.

"Two while Sarah's at four," John answered with a slight grin as she handed him a blue wire to attach to the drive, "Sully's at two and three quarters."

"Right," The Doctor stated as he finished attaching wires, "Now, let's see if it works."

He pressed a green button and the transmat let out a hum that was pleasant to hear and better than the frequency that it had been at when John sent Sarah and Harry down to the planet surface. No one appeared, but it was nice to hear that it was working. The Doctor leaned forward and pressed a hand to his chin in thought. John looked towards it with slight annoyance.

"Well, at least it's working," John commented.

"They must've left the receptor circle," The Doctor stated, "Did the Voga's want to talk to them?"

"Wanted to make sure we weren't lying about the cybermen," John answered, "Give me a mo'."

She turned towards the communication's console and let out a sound as she was shocked by the electronics. The Doctor felt a smile on his face as she waved her hands to get rid of the numbness brought about by being shocked. Her expression was quite comical.

"This is why I tend not to get angry," She muttered, "Get angry and the magic goes on the fritz and makes it impossible to handle anything electronic for a while, well I can handle wires all right the rubber stops the shock from happening."

"That explains why your hair is always messy," The Doctor commented at the flyaway hair that had stuck up when she had gotten angry.

"What's your excuse?" She shot back at him with a frown.

"I'm always on to something either that or it's always about to rain," He replied, and she let out a laugh at that before frowning at something on the monitor.

"Somethings coming this way," She stated as she flipped a green switch to get a better picture, "It's shaped like a ship, but it isn't giving a signal."

"Cybermen," The Doctor muttered as he looked over her shoulder, "Think you could hide to sneak around them?"

"Well, the Daleks could still find me while moving around the Kaled bunker," She pointed out, "But I think I can move around the Cybermen, they don't have the scanners of the Daleks."

"You looked into the time vortex," He commented as he looked at her, "How did you accomplish such a thing."

"The Tardis decided to go into my head and once a doorway is open it can be stepped through by both sides," She stated, "I got curious as to what was in my head and got a torrent of information, the time vortex is quite astounding."

She brought out a wooden stick and he watched as she vanished from view. He heard her footsteps for a few seconds before they vanished. Something touched his hand and he quickly flexed his fingers to catch her hand. She jumped in slight surprise and he grinned at that. She was easy to surprise and turn her cheeks a soft pink. He released her hand and he watched as a door slowly closed a bit. It was something he would've missed if he hadn't been watching for a sign of movement.

_Stay safe._

A red ribbon had sent him that message and he caught it with ease before placing it in his coat pocket. He put his hands behind his back and watched as Lester and the Commander came back in. They bustled towards the console and commented on the arriving ship. It was different being told that by two grown men then it was being told that by a young lady. They were panicking while she was calm and stated the facts.

He was beginning to compare the two and he stopped himself right there. It was no use getting attached to a human, though he was beginning to suspect that she wasn't a human. Humans didn't have bio-cardiovascular systems. Nor did they sense frequencies at the level that she did.

"It's the Cybermen," the Doctor stated as the two men got ready to attack.

"They're docking," Lester stated, "What do we do?"

"We've got to stop them from getting in," The Doctor replied as a loud rumble echoed through the station as it rocked from side to side.

"Close all the doors immediately," The Commander ordered, "They must not get into the main room."

All doors didn't include the one that housed John, though it did move on her. She had placed a handout and fried the electronics attached to the large sheet of metal that acted as a door. She bit her lip as the three men moved around to try and stop the cybermen from getting to them. She turned as she heard a door open near her. Her eyes widened at the sight of the cybermen. They had that retro look to them, but their eyes glowed a bright blue and there was a centerpiece on their chest that sent a chill down her spine and caused her fight or flight reflex to rear its head. She pulled her wand out and gripped it in a tight hold. The fluorescent light glinting off the metal of the cybermen's bodies blinded her for a few seconds as they walked right past her. They rapidly fired their weapons at the three men, and they were all taken down.

"All resistance is overcome," A cyberman stated.

"The beacon is ours," Another stated, that one was the leader.

"Bollocks," John hissed as she moved back from the doorway so she wouldn't be seen by the giant metal husks.

She needed to get to the Doctor, or even get to her friends on the planet surface. She had fallen into a trap like a right idiot. She wanted to hit herself as she remembered what had happened in this episode. It ended well, but she would rather there not be any kind of deaths involved. She supposed that was just wishful thinking.

She didn't want it to be, and she knew that the Doctor would agree with her.


	7. 7

Chapter 7

_Cybermen Vs Voga_

* * *

John stayed behind the door and watched as the Cybermen ambled about the room. One of them took a place at the console and she tilted her head at how human the action was. She frowned as she attempted to remember how a cyberman was created. She was drawing a blank at that, but she did get some images. A nervous system and a brain surrounded by cold metal. Emotions being suppressed because the horror would be destructive.

"You haven't killed them?" A familiar voice asked, and she felt her anger flare up at the sight of Kellman.

"Of course not," The Leading Cyberman stated, "We have neutralized them, they are necessary to our plan, what are you doing, Kellman?"

"There is one missing," Kellman stated as he looked around before going next to the Doctor and going through the unconscious man's pockets, "And this is the stranger I reported, he calls himself the Doctor."

"And because of him and the missing one, our plan was advanced?" The leader asked.

"It had to be, they were interfering," Kellman commented as he pulled out a few items such as a bag of jelly babies and an apple core, "I'd just like to know who and what they are, the woman was able to make me feel emotions I had never felt before."

"We will move them against the wall and keep our weapons trained on them," The leading Cyberman stated.

The two cybermen with them moved and began to pull the three men towards the wall. John bit her lip and slowly sneaked out of her hiding spot and followed the Doctor. She was going to keep him as safe as she could, she owed him that much. After all, he had unknowingly helped shape her into the person she was. She held out a hand and placed it on his shoulder, he barely reacted but seemed to relax a bit under her touch. A cyberman came close and made the men take a stance that reminded her of the three wise monkeys.

"Once our landing is detected, the Vogans will attack in force," The Cyber leader stated, she was going to go with that since it sounded right.

"Oh, they have no weapons that would be able to hurt your Cybermen" Kellman stated as he pulled up a map on the console.

"Doctor," John gently murmured as she tightened her grip on his shoulder, "You need to wake up and soon."

He moved a bit and she heard him let out the smallest of groans. He was waking up and she felt some relief at that. He moved his hands so slightly and he peeked between his fingers. He pinpointed where she was and gave a slight wink to her. She felt her cheeks heat up and some annoyance at the man as he went back to being silent.

"This is the main shaft?" Cyber Leader asked as he pointed at a spot on the map.

"Yes, this is a shaft I explored for you," Kellman answered as he pressed a button and a long line appeared on the map and made a route, "It runs right to the core of Voga."

"How far from the shaft entrance is the transmat receptor area?" Cyber Leader questioned.

"Just a matter of yards," Kellman stated, "I set the receptors as close as possible."

John made a slight sound at that and the Doctor twitched at it, he wasn't supposed to be able to hear her with the number of charms she used to sneak around. He peeked at her again and then moved to examine the map that was barely in sight. He just needed to know the route they were going to be forced to take. He had a witch in his corner, though she wasn't going to be able to much so she could stay undercover until the Cybermen were out of the way, he was curious if she could ignore their weaponry but didn't want to test that theory. She was rather entertaining when she wanted to be. He also wanted information as to how her magic worked, how a magical core existed and if it meshed well with the Huon particles in her atomic structure. He was also growing fond of her, just as he was with Sarah.

"Excellent, Kellman," The Cyber Leader stated, "You have done well, and these humans will carry the explosives into the shaft."

"So, what's your cut, Kellman?" The Doctor asked as he moved his hands and looked at the man who had stabbed those at Nerva in the back, "The gold that lies on Voga?"

"There will be no gold, Voga is to be completely destroyed and this time we will not fail," The Cyber Leader stated.

"Oh, is that so?" The Doctor questioned in unison with John.

"And you, Doctor, and your two friends will help us in this task," The Cyber Leader informed him, "This is why you have been spared."

"I was wondering why you hadn't killed us," The Commander stated, "Though there is one of us missing."

"The missing female is not of importance to us, there is not much a single female can do," The Cyber Leader responded, and John rolled her eyes.

"I wouldn't underestimate her," Kellman stated, "That woman is stronger than she looks."

The Doctor seemed to agree with that and so did Lester. Anyone who could cow Kellman like that had to have some strength. She even talked of war, and he didn't know of many women who had gone through a war in recent years. They tended to join the scientific divisions to avoid wars and advance humanity. One of the chief scientists was a woman who had set up Nerva, made the blueprints and everything. Completely brilliant in his opinion.

"We don't have to help you," Lester stated, "You can't really force us to do anything."

"Oh, you are mistaken," Cyber Leader commented.

"You'll discover who's mistaken, Chum," Lester said with a wry smile.

"The heart of Voga is almost pure gold," Cyber Leader stated, "Gold is hostile to our function, therefore Kellman was asked to preserve three animal organisms for this purpose."

"Isn't it wonderful to feel needed, Commander?" The Doctor asked in a light tone.

He could almost feel the slight amusement coming from John. In fact, he was sure that she was letting him know that's what she was feeling. She wasn't showing her emotions to him as she had to Kellman. He was quite glad that it was positive emotions, he didn't want to feel what she had shown earlier.

"Kellman, on our approach run, we detected an operational discharge from the transmat area," Cyber Leader said, "Explain."

"That would have to be the woman's doing, she beamed two of their friends down to Voga," Kellman replied in annoyance, "I tried to put the transmat out of action, but she managed to get it working for a few minutes."

"How much do these humans know?" Cyber Leader questioned.

"Look, I've done everything I can to help," Kellman stated as he attempted to change the subject since he was unsure of how much Sarah and Harry knew, "I set up the transmat and directed the Cybermen, you might have never found Voga if it hadn't been for me."

"That is true, and you have been promised great rewards for your assistance," Cyber Leader stated.

"That's why I must go down to Voga to make sure that nothing goes wrong with the Transmat," Kellman said.

"Very well, but you will return as soon as possible," Cyber Leader commanded, "Once the detonator cycle commences, it cannot be stopped."

Kellman stepped into the transmat and one of the Cybermen pressed a switch and he vanished. The frequencies were like a graceful harmony to John now that she was in a physical form. She closed her eyes and listened to the music that she could hear as the transmat worked. It wasn't Vivaldi's _Winter_, but it was soothing. The Doctor relaxed a bit as her calm washed over him. It was a strange feeling, but one that wasn't unwelcome.

"How is it you aren't panicking?" Lester asked the Doctor.

"Keeping one's head in this kind of situation is key," The Doctor replied.

He would've been calm anyway but having a second dose of John's feeling of being calm kept him completely relaxed. He could see himself falling asleep if the situation wasn't so dire. Her hand started to move from his shoulder, but he moved like he was trying to crack his neck and placed his head on the top of her hand. She got the message and kept it in place. He felt some panic come from her as the Cybermen brought round black bombs into the console room and placed them on a metal table that sat off to the side.

"What great rewards have you promised Kellman?" The Doctor questioned.

"That matter is of no interest to you," Cyber Leader stated.

"Everything's of interest to me, and Cybermen possess nothing that a human might want," The Doctor stated.

"You are incorrect," Cyber Leader stated.

"Then what is it?" The Doctor questioned with a frown, "You've no home planet, no influence, nothing, you are just a pathetic bunch of tin soldiers skulking about the galaxy in an ancient spaceship."

He could feel the slight hurt from John at that one. She had reminded him that she was in a war not even an hour ago. He almost made an apologetic expression and sent her way, but he simply felt her hand slide from his shoulder. She would like to inform him that he had a bad habit of speaking before he really thought his words through. He had insulted people far more important than her, and he wouldn't really stop since it was just who he was. She was used to people like that, Holmes had been one of them and they were best friends. He had insulted her a few times but would always apologize afterward with something that she had found interest in, whether it be a book or an item of clothing.

"You speak unwisely," Cyber Leader stated, "We are destined to be rulers of all the cosmos."

"No, I don't think so," The Doctor stated, "You tried that once and you were nearly wiped out."

"Because of Voga and its gold," Cyber Leader countered, "If humans had not had the resources of Voga, the Cyber War would have ended in our glorious triumph."

"It was a glorious triumph for human ingenuity," The Doctor commented, "They discovered your weakness and invented the glitter gun and that was the end of Cybermen except for the gold-plated souvenirs that people use as hat stands."

John was surprised by how violent of a statement that was. She wondered if he had always been this violent. Always had this darkness in him that was barely brought to the surface. She frowned in slight worry and wondered just what that darkness was going to bring him. Just what it was going to destroy in him, she made a mental promise that she would never let him travel alone. Unless he was to ask her to try and head back to her universe. She would have to accept his terms since she didn't really belong here.

"Watch it, Doctor," Lester warned, "I think you've riled him enough."

"That is why Voga must be destroyed before we begin our second campaign," Cyber Leader informed him.

"Oh, there's to be a second campaign, is there?" The Doctor asked in a light tone.

"We have enough parts in our ship to build an entirely new Cyber Army, and this time, Doctor, it will be invincible," Cyber Leader stated as he lumbered towards the Doctor and grasped the Time Lord by the throat, "Cybermen function far more efficiently than animal organisms, that is why we will rule the galaxy."

"Such loose thinking, that's the trouble with Cybermen you have hydraulic muscles and hydraulic brains to go along with them," The Doctor quipped before he was tossed across the room.

"He had that coming," John muttered to herself as she winced.

Holmes had been that way too and he had gotten his fair share of injuries from angered people. One of which had been the detective inspector. The right hook he had gotten from the man had been one that was talked about for months after the fact. Even she had added fuel to the fire that had been the gossip on the punch, she was a bit petty at the time having been annoyed at being woken up at three in the morning by the loud violin playing a few days after OWLS. She had been tempted to throw a fist his way.

She blinked as the Doctor sprung up to his feet and grabbed one of the bombs on the table. The Cybermen watched him with a wary air around them. He held it away from his body and eyed them with a mad glint in his eyes. His eyes flickered towards the area where the others were, he'd rather not resort to harming the others if he could help it.

"Put that down!" Cyber Leader ordered the Doctor.

"Thank you," The Doctor grinned at the mechanical soldier, "Now, if I'm correct about what this contains and should accidentally drop it."

He acted as though he was going to drop the bomb. He let it fall from his grip for a few seconds before catching it with ease. Cyber Leader had moved forward to catch it as well. For an unfeeling machine, it certainly had some human qualities about it. Fear and anger mainly stood out.

"Now, I want some information from you, Cyber Leader," The Doctor ordered, "What's Kellman expecting to get out of all this?"

"Kellman wants power," Cyber Leader complied, "He will be the ruler of this solar system when we have conquered it."

"A puppet dictator," The Doctor stated, "I wouldn't have thought his ambitions lay in that direction."

"Look out Doctor," The Commander called as several Cybermen appeared behind the Doctor.

The Cybermen grabbed the Doctor's arms and the Cyber Leader moved forward to retrieve the bomb. The Doctor was pushed back towards John and the others. He hit the floor and he felt something touch his shoulders and slow his momentum in a way that looked natural. Lester shot him a look of slight surprise.

"You had to make them mad," Lester commented.

"Do not kill them," Cyber Leader ordered as the three men were held in place as a bomb was strapped to each of their backs, "Cyberbombs, the most compact and powerful explosives ever invented."

"Yes, and their use was banned by the Armageddon Convention," The Doctor pointed out.

Armageddon Convention? John felt some amusement at that and fought the small smile on her face. She then remembered what kind of situation they were in. She looked at the bombs on the backs of the men. She couldn't try to get them out without knowing how it would react to the magic around her, a Cyberbomb was completely different from a landmine. She would rather not be the death of the Doctor.

"Cybermen do not subscribe to any theory of morality in war, Doctor," Cyber Leader informed them, "Our calculations indicate that two bombs placed in the central fissure of Voga will fragment the planet."

"Fragment, oh well, I'm surprised at the decent English from a machine," The Doctor commented as he was hauled to his feet.

"Prime the buckles, two bombs should be sufficient, but three will make it certain," Cyber Leader continued ignoring the Doctor and paying him no mind.

"Now what have they done?" The Commander questioned.

"The buckles are now primed," Cyber Leader stated, "Any attempt to remove the harness before the countdown reaches the red zone will cause a secondary explosion, do you understand."

"Shite," John quietly cursed.

There went her idea of removing the bombs. If she did then she could kill the Doctor and the Nerva workers. She tapped a finger against her chin in slight annoyance before moving closer to the men. She wanted to be able to help them if they needed it.

"You mean, if we attempt to release the harness before then we'll get blown up?" Lester asked in an annoyed and frustrated tone.

"Correct," Cyber Leader confirmed, "It is as well to keep that thought in your minds."

"And when we reach the center of Voga, we'll be fragmented as well," The Doctor pointed out.

"Incorrect," Cyber Leader stated, "You will have fourteen minutes, the time of the red zone, to reach the surface and save yourselves by the transmat beam."

"That is not long enough," The Commander argued.

"Fourteen minutes is considered adequate," Cyber Leader stated in a no-nonsense tone.

"Anything else before we go?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes, Doctor," Cyber Leader answered, "Your progress will be followed by radar, any attempt to deviate from the planned course will be detected immediately and the bombs will be detonated by these manual controls."

"Thank you," The Doctor smiled as the Cyber Leader pushed a button.

"Countdown has commenced," Cyber Leader announced, "You, Doctor, will leave first."

The Doctor was shoved forward and he stumbled slightly. He turned towards the Cyber Leader and grinned. It was his signature manic grin and one that was only slightly off-putting. A hand slipped onto his arm and he felt his grin increase.

"Careful, I might explode," The Doctor warned as he took a yo-yo out of his pocket and began to play with it.

The transmat beam was turned on and they went down to planet Voga. The Cyberman that had gone with them turned a weapon towards John, who had been revealed by the transmat and picked up by the radar. She gave a sheepish grin and slipped her hand away from the Doctor and held them up. She knew better than to attack the Cyberman, which could cause the Doctor to be killed, and she didn't want that.

"We have found the missing female," The Cyberman announced as he motioned for the two to back away from the transmat circle, "What are the orders for this one."

The Cyberman was quiet as the other two men were beamed down with another Cyberman. Lester and the Commander seemed surprised to see a sheepish John as she gave a slight wave towards them. Lester looked towards a very amused, and slightly worried, Doctor. John's eyes moved to the side as she saw a couple of figures towards the entrance of the mine.

It was instantaneous. The moment she looked at the figures, shots rang out. She put her hands down and was ready to reach for her wand. She was ready to counterattack, but a hand on her own stopped her from doing so. She looked towards the Doctor and he gave her a look.

"Someone's trying to attract your attention," The Doctor informed the Cybermen before he turned towards the other two, "Come on, let's get out of here!"

They began to run towards the central shaft, they had to go down that way since they were being watched by radar. John was able to keep up the pace with the men. Her mind was shouting at her to fight, but she would run with the others just to be sure that she could keep them safe. They made it to cover and her adrenaline dropped as they reached a safe area. Her foot caught on a rock jutting out and she stumbled slightly before catching herself.

"If only they knew about the use of gold," The Doctor commented.

"It would have made that little fight back there fairer," John stated.

"I know this is an important conversation," Lester started as he stared at John, "But where did you go?"

"I was there the entire time," John answered.

"How?" Lester asked, she simply smiled at him in a slightly amused manner, "Never mind."

"Do you believe what they cybermen said about giving you lot time to escape?" John asked the Doctor.

"Not a word of it," The Doctor answered with a slight smile, "Once we've reached the explosive zone, we'll have outlived our usefulness."

"So, what do we do now?" Lester asked.

"I'd rather not die in an explosion," John stated, "I've lived through a lot, I don't need a bomb to be what does me in."

"We keep moving, give their radar scope something to follow," The Doctor ordered.

"Why don't we just wait here?" Lester asked.

"You like being able to walk and talk?" John asked him and he nodded, "Well then, keep walking or else they'll detonate the bomb from Nerva, bombs like this always have a remote that can detonate them from afar."

"Right, well, let's get going," Lester stated in a light tone as they continued down the central shaft.

They walked for some time; the walls of the cave stayed static and unchanging for the most part, save for a small ore that jutted out at an odd angle every once in a while. The rocks glittered as the light from torches on the wall danced across the surface. John looked at the rocks and eyed the gold that was out in the open. She tilted her head slightly. Gold was used to make cauldrons, one of which she had, it helped in potions like Felix Felicis to make it far more potent.

They came across a small slope where the rocks were wet and started to climb down. The Doctor watched as John slipped down a few feet before catching herself on a dryer rock. He winced as she rubbed her hands against her shorts. She continued her way down without any sign of pain or discomfort.

"Steady," The Doctor told them.

"I'm getting a bit old for this sort of thing," The Commander stated.

"Shall we rest for a bit then?" John asked, "You lot are the ones carrying a load on your back."

The two Nerva workers sent her a look at that before realizing that she hadn't said that to be smart. She looked at them in concern as they took a short rest to gain their breaths back. She stood close to the Doctor and he spared her a small glance. She was radiating nervous energy and he was ignoring the nerves so he could think straight.

"Have any ideas yet, Doctor?" Lester asked.

"The deeper we go, the heavier the concentration of gold," The Doctor explained, "Before long, it must start affecting their radar picture."

"What then?" The Commander asked.

"Well, it's a slight chance, but if we can get back without being detected we can take the Cybermen from behind," The Doctor continued as he turned towards the white-haired commander, "All right now, Commander?"

"As good as I'll be with this bomb strapped to me," The Commander said as he gave a nod.

"Let's go," The Doctor stated.

They continued on their way. It was getting harder to breathe and the Commander was suffering the most out of the four of them. John hung back a bit to make sure he'd be all right, but he waved her off after some time. He knew that she was worried about the Doctor the most out of the three of them. It was something that slightly amused him. How a person that could disappear when they want to didn't know how they felt about someone. He couldn't blame her; the Doctor was an amazing person. One that was easy to admire.

He took note of the way she favored her left leg over the right. She had most likely whacked it against one of the rocks that had been jutting out on the slippery slope. Her hands had been all scuffed up and had flecks of gold in them that glittered in the low light. She winced slightly as if she had a sudden bad thought before her face went back to a neutral expression. He would rather not know what those thoughts had been, her pessimism usually turned out to be true.

The ceiling began to lower on them, and they had to crouch before they ended up crawling. John moved behind them since she really didn't want men watching her from behind. It was something that the Doctor didn't comment on but was easy to see that he somewhat understood. She kept her eyes forward; they probably didn't want someone watching their behinds either.

"I'm sorry, Doctor," The Commander panted, "I'm a bit whacked."

"Sit down a moment," The Doctor stated as they came to a stop and he looked at the three, "Actually, I think we're very near the center now, this is all solid gold."

"I wonder if these buckles really would explode," Lester thought out loud.

"Please don't put it to the test," John said as she moved closer to the group, "I'd rather you not throw away your life on a maybe."

"Too right," The Commander agreed.

The Doctor climbed up a small shaft and looked around. He saw a pile of rocks and watched as it began to vibrate. He quickly moved back down the shaft to warn the others. If those rocks were moving like that, they would be following him very shortly.

"Look out!" He warned, "Get back!"

They all scrambled back. John slipped on a piece of gold ore that was jutting out and some of the debris from the rocks landed on her and brought her to the ground, her head hitting a small rock. She was out for the count as the Doctor had some debris hit his head. He was unable to remain on the brink of consciousness as Lester and the Commander grabbed John by her wrists and dragged her away from the debris as it continued to fall. They moved and gathered the Doctor as well. Lester stopped and placed fingers against the side of John's neck.

"She still has a pulse," Lester stated, "It's weird though as if she has two hearts instead of one."

"Just put her next to the Doctor," The Commander stated, "They'll come back on their own in a few, these two are stubborn."

Lester and the Commander leaned John and the Doctor against a wall as they waited for them to come around. They tensed as they heard rapid footsteps coming towards them, every so often a piece of gold was kicked up and they could hear it clattering around. A figure came towards them and they relaxed. It was one of the Doctor's traveling companions, Harry. The well-dressed man was a welcomed sight.

"What happened?" Harry asked them as he closed the gap with a few long strides.

"The rocks fell and some of the debris hit them on the head," Lester answered as Harry began to prod the Doctor's head for any sign of injury.

"It's just a bump," Harry said as he moved towards John's he was slightly surprised that such messy hair as theirs was extremely soft, "They'll be fine, in fact, I don't doubt that they'll come around any minute now."

"Don't remove the straps," Lester warned Harry as the man started to mess with the buckle that strapped the bomb onto the Doctor, "Open that buckle and you'll blow all of us to kingdom come."

"It's booby-trapped?" Harry asked with raised brows.

"Yes," Lester nodded his brown hair flopping around, "These buckles can't be opened until the Cybermen beam the release signal."

"Harry, were you trying to undo this?" The Doctor asked as he came around for a few seconds.

"Well, naturally," Harry admitted.

"Did you make the rocks fall, Harry?" The Doctor continued.

"Er, well, I suppose I must have done," Harry stuttered, "Yes."

The Doctor tilted his head back and let out a laugh that stirred John. She sat up and looked around in slight alarm before wincing and putting a hand to the small bump on the back of her head. It was throbbing every so often with the beat of her hearts. She then looked towards the Doctor and her eyes lit up in surprise at the sight of Harry.

"Harry Sullivan is an imbecile!" The Doctor exclaimed before he was out again.

"Did you do something, Sully?" John questioned in confusion.

"Sorry, I was the reason that the rocks fell," Harry informed her as he apologized.

"Hey, we're all alive so that's something," John commented as she stood up and teetered a bit on her feet, "Let's start moving again and get away from the rocks, I'll help carry him."

She helped lift the Doctor into a standing position and Harry moved to the other side. Together they continued to move forward so the Cybermen wouldn't detonate the bombs on them. She heard the Doctor muttering under his breath, and she felt her lips quirk upwards at that. Even in his sleep, he was thinking, she could peg him as a Ravenclaw, but he really fit into the same house as her. Gryffindor, though the hat had wanted to place her in Hufflepuff because she was extremely loyal to those she cared about. They had made it a little further down the shaft when the Doctor woke up. It took him a few seconds before he was fully aware of everything.

"So, where is Sarah?" The Doctor asked as he looked around for the shorter brunette.

"I'm not sure, Doctor," Harry replied, "Last I saw her she was trying to get back to the Beacon."

"Shite," John cursed, "If Sarah goes up there then the Cybermen could get her."

"Well, it was a plot by Kellman, who's dead by the way, that was created with the Vogan people," Harry continued to explain, "He needed the Cybermen on the Beacon so they'd be sitting ducks for the rocket the Vogans are going to shoot, the only problem is they haven't finished it yet, everything went topside."

"Yes, it has," the Doctor agreed.

"Doctor, you lot only have about nine minutes," John pointed out.

"Right, listen," The Doctor ordered, and everyone looked at him and waited for him to continue, "Commander, if you were to keep on going towards the center you could draw the radar track away from the rest of us."

"Right," The Commander nodded.

"Meantime, Lester, I, and John could take the cross shaft and attack the Cybermen from the rear," The Doctor continued.

"Do you have gold on you?" John asked, "I don't think you'll be able to get the dust out of all this in a few seconds and I can't fire off any stunners with those bombs on your backs."

He simply tapped his nose at her. He got an annoyed look at that as they split up and started the plan. The four continued forward until they came across the two Cybermen who had been beamed down to the planet with them. The three men dropped down and started to collect gold dust. John stood back and grabbed a piece of gold and grabbed her long metal rod out of the pockets of her shorts. She began to scratch a rune on the surface. It turned it into something that would stab through one of the cybermen's metal armor and hit its center.

"How much have we got?" The Doctor asked.

"We've got about five minutes," Lester replied the Doctor looked ready to say something slightly snappish but a single look from John had him change what he was going to say.

"I mean how much gold dust have we got?" The Doctor informed him, and they all compared the handfuls that they got, "Well, that should be enough, you know what to do."

"Yes, creep as close as we can then chuck this stuff into their chest units," Harry stated.

"You've got it, Harry," The Doctor complimented, "Come on."

"I'll be here in case you absolutely need me," John stated, "Try not to I don't want to miss in the chaos and accidentally hit one of you lot."

She held up the piece of gold in her hands and they all shivered at the sight of it. It looked like a normal piece of gold, but it felt darker than it should. Something wasn't right about the gold in her hands. It felt like they were looking at a weapon more than a piece of gold.

They moved away and she got into position. They snuck along a ridge above the cybermen and judged when they needed to jump. The Doctor held a hand up to keep them from acting. Harry and Lester shared a look before looking down at the Cybermen on patrol. The Doctor nodded and the three men jumped down onto the Cybermen.

They were easily shrugged off and John felt sweat began to travel down the side of her face and through the grime that covered it as she contemplated using the piece of gold in her hands. If she missed, she could detonate the bombs on accident. She brought a hand up and wiped away the sweat on her face. She winced as the salty liquid got into the small scrapes on her hands. She quickly threw up a shield when Lester jumped onto the back of one of the Cybermen and turned the harness buckle.

She was pushed back from the rocks she had taken cover behind. She hit the ground with a grunt and quickly curled up to protect her vital spots. Some small pieces of gold bounced off her frame and she knew that she was going to be covered in small cuts and bruises from the heavy metal. She kept her eyes open and waited for the smoke to clear. She coughed as it dissipated, and slowly got up to her feet.

"You still alive, John?!" Harry's voice cut through the smoke.

"Yeah, a little bruised," She called back, "I didn't expect him to do that."

A head of curly hair popped up from behind the rocks, she was surprised that they had survived that blast. She disarmed her shields and looked at the Doctor. He had a somewhat strained smile on his face as he held out a hand to help her. She was confused by that before she noticed that her shield had created a small cavern where rocks had fallen.

"Come on," The Doctor told her, "These rocks are not that stable."

"Right," John nodded as she accepted his hand and he helped pull her through the small opening of the magic made cavern.

"The manual control is still working," He informed her as he set her down on her feet.

"That's good?" John was unsure if it was or not.

"Very," The Doctor grinned.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" She asked him, "Let's get you out of the harness and collect the Commander."

He nodded at that and began to fiddle with the box. She watched him with slight amusement. He was one of those types that worked well under pressure. Harry came up to her and looked her over for any injuries that needed treatment. She had some small cuts that littered her legs and a few on her cheeks. They weren't deep, but he was worried about the gold being inside the cuts.

"I'm surprised that you don't seem to have any deeper cuts," Harry commented, "They all seem superficial, you just need to clean the gold out of them."

"That is my blood, Sully," John informed him as she pressed a finger against her cheek and got some blood flowing.

"Well, that certainly explains quite a bit," Harry stated.

"My word of warning," She started as the Doctor looked up from the box for a few seconds before going back to what he was doing, "Never get curious when it comes to something that can travel through time, might change your biology."

"Ah," the Doctor said as the indicator on the box switched from mauve to green, "Well, I'm impressed."

"Let's go collect our friend the Commander," Harry said as the Doctor removed the cyberbomb from his back.

They headed out, helping each other to get over the rocks that had fallen into their paths. John was behind them; her hurt leg was causing her to move slower. She was feeling it more after the explosion. Harry would look back every so often and she would send him a raised brow. She could work with being hurt; she had lived through _war_ after all. She could almost feel the pain from the injuries she had received during the war.

"Doctor, where's Lester?" The Commander asked as he looked around for the brunette.

"He sacrificed himself to destroy the Cybermen," The Doctor answered in a grim tone.

The Commander was silent for a few minutes as the Doctor helped him remove the cyberbomb. His jaw was clenched, and he seemed to be fighting down his grief. A small hand on his shoulder got his attention. It was a silent form of understanding and he gave a curt nod towards John.

"We should head towards the Vogans," The Doctor stated, "See if they got that rocket working yet."

They all nodded their agreement and starting down the main shaft again. This time they were following Harry, who knew the way to the Vogan's guild room. Men were waiting for them and the Commander moved closer to the group. He had been attacked by the natives before when communications failed.

"This is the one that contacted us," One of the Vogan's said as they looked at John, "You are much younger than you first seemed."

"Thank you?" She muttered in slight confusion, she was unsure if she was being complimented or not.

"It's a compliment," The Doctor quietly informed her.

She gained a small smile and a slight dusting of pink on her cheeks. It was unusual that she got complimented on being young. Most people thought it was an annoyance or a handicap on her end. She placed her hands behind her back and rocked on her heels in thought as the Doctor quickly explained what had happened.

"We are grateful to you, human, for saving Voga," The Vogan Tyram said.

"Oh, please, don't call me human," The Doctor stated as he moved to look at a monitor, "Just Doctor will do very nicely, thank you, is that your rocket?"

"The Sky Striker, yes," Tyram nodded, "You've delivered our enemies into my hands, Doctor, Magrik, have you news?"

"Everything is ready," Magrik announced on the com, "We can start the countdown."

"Perhaps we can make an alternative suggestion," John smiled at them.

"An alternative?" A Vogan named Vorus questioned with a slight frown.

"Let me take the transmat back to the Beacon and deal with the Cybermen myself," The Doctor took over before John could say anything, he sent her a look and she raised her hands at that.

"Yourself? You mean, alone?" Tyram asked in surprise.

"Give me just fifteen minutes," The Doctor said as he stared Tyram right in the eye, "If at the end of that time I haven't come through on the radio, well then you can fire off your rocket."

"You've already done so much," Tyram countered, "Why should you risk your life again this way?"

"Our friend Sarah Jane is on Beacon," John stated, "She risked her life to help ours, it's the least we can do to accept the same for her, we'll monitor the situation from here Doctor, unless, fifteen minutes is too much for you Tyram."

"Fifteen minutes," Tyram nodded, "But no longer."

"Thank you, but there is just one more thing I need," The Doctor pointed out.

"What's that?" Tyram asked.

"A bag of gold dust," The Doctor answered.

"Oh, yes."

The bag of gold dust was handed over to the Doctor and he looked at his two companions and the commander. John had taken a seat at the console and was changing the signal so it would be boosted. Harry was watching the young woman with some degree of concern and respect. The Commander had joined her in sitting down, both had been through quite a bit and were covered in grime and blood. She even had bruising along the ridge of her right cheek.

"Doctor, you get going," John told him with a slight frown, "You need all the time you can get."

He scurried off at that and she rolled her eyes. She kept an eye on the Vogan, Vorus. He was frowning at the group and she knew better than to trust someone who would glare at people trying to help them. She had a way to destroy the Cybermen, but he wanted to win it on his own terms. A part of her could understand that. She looked back to the monitor and steadied her nerves. She needed to remain calm if she had to act quickly.

"Keep an eye on Vorus," John muttered to the Commander, "He's angry and there's no telling what he might do."

The Commander nodded and his eyes flickered to the side as he eyed the Vogan from the corner of his eyes. He could see where she was coming from. He was tensed and ready for a fight, it was a bit reckless, but he knew that its what Lester would have done. He didn't relax, even as the time began to tick by.

"Seven minutes," Magrik informed them.

"What can the Doctor do in this time?" Vorus asked as he hissed the Doctor's name, "We should never have agreed to wait."

"Someone I knew once said that patience is a virtue," John informed him from her seat at the monitor, "There is still an option if the Doctor is unable to do what he says."

"Do you doubt the Doctor?" Tyram asked her with a curious expression.

"No, I have complete trust in him," She replied with a sharp tone, "I was just pointing something out to ease your worries, just step away from the button for now."

Vorus scoffed at that but complied with her request. She eyed him slightly and she allowed Armageddon to slip out. He further backed away from the button. She gave him a pleasant smile and she was sure that the swift changes in emotions gave him slight whiplash. It was slightly amusing to watch.

"Any news from the Doctor?" Harry asked to relieve the tension that had begun to rise in the room.

"Not yet, but then again he has a bad habit of having everything work out in the last minute," John quietly answered with a wry smile.

"It ends all right in the end," Harry commented.

"That it does," She chuckled.

"Five minutes," Magrik announced.

The minutes ticked by slowly and soon enough the two humans and the witch were sweating. It was warmer on planet Voga than it had been on the Beacon. John wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and Harry followed suit with a dark blue handkerchief. He tucked it back into his suit pocket and continued to stare at the console for any sign of the Doctor and Sarah.

"Control to firing bunker," Vorus stated as he pressed a blue button, "Stand by for countdown."

"The Doctor still has another two minutes," John argued in a calm tone.

"The countdown," Vorus replied with a nasty smirk.

"Wait a minute," John stated as she frowned at the monitor, "The Beacon's moving, it's coming towards us, a collision course."

"Activate firing controls," Vorus ordered.

"Vorus, you promised the Doctor fifteen minutes," Harry pointed out.

"All right, I'm done with you Vorus," John stated as she simply sent a stunner his way, "He'll wake up in an hour or so after all this is done, please see to it that he punished by the law."

All eyes turned towards her and she narrowed her eyes at them. The guards that were usually with Tyram went and tried to stop Magrik from pushing the button to launch the rocket. They failed but lead a fussing Magrik away. John cursed and began to push buttons.

"There's no way to stop it from here," John stated, "Once it's going, it's going, it'll hit the Beacon in six minutes."

"It seems the Doctor has failed," Tyram stated as he took a seat at the console with them.

"I wouldn't say that," Harry said as he turned to face the Vogan leader.

"Well, his only chance now is to get off the Beacon by the transmat," The Commander stated as he watched the monitor, "It seems as though the Cybermen are attempting to escape."

"Then the Sky Striker will simply destroy the empty Beacon," Tryam said in slight relief.

"If it is empty," Harry muttered.

"Hello, Voga," The Doctor's voice entered the conversation and a smile appeared on John's face, "Hello, Voga, this is Nerva Beacon."

"We read you loud and clear, Doctor," John said as she flipped a little blue switch to change the station so he came in clearer, "What's gone wrong?"

"The Cybermen have abandoned the Beacon," The Doctor stated, "The Sky Striker needs to be aimed at the Cybership."

"Oh, well Vorus already launched the rocket," John informed him, "There's nothing we can really do to stop it down here, you got any ideas?"

"Let me think." The Doctor stated.

"Oh, he's got around four minutes and he wants to think," John muttered in a sarcastic tone.

The Doctor may be victorious at the end of the day, but she was ready to hit him for this. She didn't like worrying about her friends when they were in danger. Well, she didn't like not being able to do anything to help them. She began to chew on her lower lip, the split not even bothering her anymore and felt some of her stress leave her by the familiar actions.

"John?" The Doctor asked after a minute.

"Yes, Doctor," She answered as she sat up straight in the metal chair she was in.

"There are two levers on the left side of the panel," The Doctor informed her, "Got them?"

"Yes," She confirmed as she placed her hands on them.

"The top lever controls the angle of flight, and the lower one must be the direction and stabilizer control," He continued.

"Right, leave it to me," She told him, "Shouldn't be any different than maneuvering a broom."

Harry and the Commander looked at her as she slowly moved one of the levers and began to aim it at the cybershop. They weren't sure they had heard that right. She had said broom of all things. She was so focused on her piloting of the rocket that they didn't even ask her if she had actually said something about a broom.

"Move it a bit starboard," Harry offered.

"Just a few more seconds," The Commander muttered as he watched the monitor.

They were all tense and Tyram had joined them in watching the rocket. John moved the rocket one last time and they all cheered as it hit the Cybership. The Commander gave her a hearty pat on the back, and she let out a slight sound of delight and pain. She gave a small hiss as her left shoulder began to hurt.

"Doctor, the Cybership has been taken care of," John informed him as she switched on the com system and frowned at something, "I would like to know why you are heading right towards us."

"Hello, John," Sarah greeted her, "We're completely loaded with cyberbombs."

"Is there anything we can do?" John asked before letting out a wince at that, "Never mind, dumb question, will you guys be okay?"

"The Doctors doing his best, but the cybermen have locked the gyro controls," Sarah told her and John winced at that.

"I don't know of anything that can be done," John stated as she ran a hand through her hair, "Damnit, I don't like this."

"What?" Harry questioned.

"Well, I really wouldn't like to lose any more friends," John grumbled as she stared at the monitor, "Call it a selfish desire if you wish."

"It's sentimental," Tyram informed her and she looked at him for a few seconds, expression completely blank.

"Would you happen to be a politician or government worker?" She asked.

"I am the Vogan Leader," he answered.

"Ah," She nodded her thanks before muttering under her breath, "Makes sense now."

"The Beacon is still coming straight towards us," The Commander stated.

"It's going to hit," Tyram exclaimed as he began to panic.

Harry and John stayed quiet as they watched the monitor. Harry had faith in the Doctor while John knew that he was good at pulling miracles out of his ass like he was Unspeakable Mary Poppins. She then began to contemplate how similar the two were. He reminded her of the unspeakable that had retired after seventy years of work. The Old woman worked around Mundane born witches and wizards back in the early 1920s to help bring more of them into the magical world.

The Beacon twisted in place for a few seconds before appearing back into its original spot. Everyone on Voga let out a sound of relief. John slumped in her chair and let out a low breath. She hadn't realized that she had been holding it until then. That's what she got for not paying attention.

"Luckily we didn't panic," John smiled at them.

Harry let out a low sound of amusement as they finally got out of their chairs and said their goodbyes to Tyram. Tyram stopped John before she left and she handed him a piece of gold with the runes scratched into the surface. He took one look at it and gave it back to her. She seemed surprised at that.

"A gift of good faith," He said and she smiled at that.

"What will become of Vorus?" She asked as he walked with them to the Transmat Circle.

"He will be stripped of his titles and placed on mine work for his crimes against Voga," Tyram answered, "We hope that the Doctor and all of you return one day."

"It would be an honor," John smiled as she and Harry stepped into the circle with the Commander.

She closed her eyes as the beam started and they were dematerialized into an atomic state and beamed up to the beacon. As they rematerialized, she let out a shudder. She really hated being atoms after getting her physical body back. It was such an odd feeling now, even though it did allow her to see the Huon particles in her body. It was what ran through her blood and made it the gold color it was, she knew that meant that every time her heartsbeat it created more particles. She wondered if she could regenerate or if she would just never age. There was a sinking feeling in her gut that it was the latter mixed with the former.

"I see old faithful turned up after all," Harry commented as he saw the Tardis.

"I missed you, sexy," John quietly greeted the Tardis.

She smiled as the ship hummed in agreement with her words. Sarah smiled as the woman hugged the police box with a grin. It wasn't the strangest thing she had seen. The Doctor would sometimes stroke parts of the ship when he was in deep thought. She sometimes wondered if he wanted time alone with the ship.

"Don't just stand there," the Doctor told them, "Come on."

John didn't have to be told twice and she hurried into the blue box. Harry was a bit uncertain of going inside and Sarah shot him an amused look that was mixed with annoyance as she walked in. She sent the Doctor a look as well and he simply grinned. She didn't trust that grin.

"Why is it all go off a sudden?" She asked.

"I'm needed back on Earth," He answered as John came back and pulled Harry into the Tardis with an amused smirk.

"I left the Brigadier a space-time telegraph system and told him not to use it unless he had a real emergency on his hands," The Doctor informed Sarah.

"He used it?" Sarah asked in surprise.

"He has, come on," The Doctor urged and she headed into the ship.

"What about the commander?" Harry asked, "Aren't we going to say goodbye?"

"I don't think so, Sully," John answered, "Perhaps it's for the best, he and Tyram can start peace talks without us."

"That's hopeful thinking for someone so cynical," Harry commented.

"The demon inside me blushes at the compliment," She joked, "Excuse me, I haven't slept or eaten in weeks and am pretty close to collapsing. I'm taking a leave for now."

"Did she say weeks?" Harry asked Sarah who gave a nod of confirmation.

John did as she said and stumbled through the hallways of the Tardis. The Doctor was busy imputing coordinates that he simply didn't react to it. Sarah decided to go and take a shower and a nap as well. Harry did so as well. It was going to take a while to reach their destination after all.


	8. 8

My update speed might slow down since I'll be starting University next week. I will try to keep up with the updates though. I want you all to know that the reviews you lot have been giving me are appreciated, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope you all stick with me through this story!

* * *

Chapter 8

_Magical Banks_

* * *

"Oh, nice scarf," John complimented the Doctor as she walked into the main console room of the Tardis.

She was surprised that he had changed into a tartan scarf for the occasion of landing on Earth. It had to be a hint as to where they were landing. However, she wasn't a big fan of that hat. He simply grinned at that as she placed her hands into the pockets of the jeans she was wearing. Skinny jeans had begun to get popular in the mundane world of her universe and she liked keeping an eye on the latest fashion so she could blend in easier. It would most likely make her stand out in the nineteen seventies but then again, she traveled with the Doctor, it was to be expected. She really wasn't afraid of standing out like others of the magical community.

"What exactly is a Gryffindor?" He questioned as he looked at the front of her jersey.

"Oh, the house I belonged to at Hogwarts," She answered, "House of the brave and chivalrous, the house of the lions."

"Quidditch?" He asked again.

"A sport played on a broomstick, around a few hundred meters in the air," She grinned at him, "I was a chaser for a while, just a stand-in, the jersey is quite comfortable."

"Broomstick," He muttered, "How would that work? How does it fly?"

"Rune work mostly," She answered, "I was planning on taking a detour into London to see if the magical community even exists in your world, if it does then I can see what I can do there."

"Like what?" He asked with a frown.

"Well, I need to see if the noblest and ancient house of Holmes and Watson are a thing here," She shrugged, "My best friend was my cousin and his family no longer has magic in their line so the power for the house fell to me, but I wonder if that is true here."

"How long would this take you?" He asked.

"Not too terribly long," She answered with ease, "I'll be able to appear back at the Tardis, or rather where she'll have been if you decide to move her."

"Teleportation?" He asked.

"I've been working on that," She answered with a wry expression as she ran a hand through her messy hair, "More like being sucked through a tube, it's rather uncomfortable really."

He made a sound at that and they finally landed as Harry and Sarah appeared. Sarah took one look at the jersey and simply shrugged it off, she had seen stranger clothing in her travels. Harry, on the other hand, had quite a few questions at the sight of it. He had a feeling that it had something to do with the mention of a broom back at Nerva Beacon.

"Let's head out," The Doctor stated.

They headed out and John breathed in the fresh air of Earth. She had missed the slightly damp scent of the planet. She hadn't expected that, but then again, she never thought she would leave the planet. She gave the Doctor a nod and apparated from the spot as soon as she memorized the area.

The sounds of London met her ears as she appeared in an alleyway. She let her stomach settle for a few seconds before exiting the alley. People stared at her and she kept her chin up high and continued to walk. She was on the right road and she smiled as the Leaky Cauldron appeared. She headed up to it and immediately all the staring stopped. She walked in through the door and she was greeted by the barkeeper. She didn't realize that he had hair at one point. It was a bit of a surprise, but one that wasn't unwelcome.

"Here for a drink, Lass?" He asked her.

"No sir, just bank business," She answered as she walked through the pub, "I'll be sure to come for a glass of fire whiskey one of these days."

He grinned at that and she headed through the doors that lead to Diagon Alley. She took a deep breath; she knew that a war was happening now, and she was preparing herself to fight off any death eaters that came her way. She narrowed her eyes at that thought as she tapped the correct pattern on the brick wall. It revealed an alley that hadn't been through the second war, one that was still bright and somewhat cheerful even through the pain and hardship. A gentle smile appeared on her face, even though she felt like crying, as she walked through the open archway and looked around the bustling alleyway at all the familiar buildings.

She had forgotten about the ice cream parlor. It had never been the same after the owner was killed. He would always help students with their history homework when they sat in his shop. The sweet man didn't deserve the fate he was handed. He had given her the chance for a summer job when she had been sixteen and became a grandfather figure for her.

She shook such thoughts from her head and continued towards the white marble bank that didn't have a dragon-shaped hole in the dome. She passed through the metal doors and a few of the goblin workers looked at her with narrowed eyes. She went to one of the tellers and gave a respectful nod. Something that piqued his interest.

"Greetings may your enemies be brought before you and their deaths be slow, Gnarltooth," She greeted in a proper fashion as she quickly gleaned his name from his nameplate.

"May yours find themselves in agony over any misdeed they do unto you," Gnarltooth greeted back, "What can I do for you today?"

"I wish to take a blood test," She answered in a low tone, "I'm not quite sure if I have an account with you here, if not then I would like to start one and invest wisely."

His dark eyes glittered at her words. She was giving him good information and he closed his counter. He hopped off the stool that all the Goblins stood on and beckoned for her to follow. She did so and followed at a respectful distance.

"Not many witches and wizards show respect to Goblins nowadays," Gnarltooth stated in an offhand tone.

"Which is such a pity," John said with a wry smile, "They should treat those who deal with their money and accounts with respect, they've grown lazy and have no idea how to invest wisely and you never know when a business might mysteriously go bankrupt."

Oh, he was going to enjoy this transaction. John allowed her mind to wander for a few seconds as they walked down a handsomely decorated hallway. She was worried about the Doctor and the others. She didn't really remember what was going to happen, and as much as she'd like to be there to keep them safe. She needed to find out if she had any money in this world. She needed to have a way to make a living if the Doctor grew tired of her and dropped her off.

"This room," Gnarltooth informed her.

She hurried into the room and he followed. He quickly explained the process of a blood test. Prick a finger with a silver dagger and hold it over a piece of enchanted parchment. She quickly did so, she had no qualms about pricking her finger, and allowed a few drops of her gold blood to hit the paper. The color confused the Goblin for a split second before they looked at the writing on the paper.

_Johana Rosalind Watson_

_Age 23_

_Affiliations: The Doctor (Present, Relationship: Unknown), Sarah Jane-Smith (Present, Relationship: Close friend), The Tardis (Present), Hogwarts (Past), The Order of the Phoenix (Present), Order of Merlin Class A (Present), The Ministry for Magic (Past), Queen's Magical Guard (Past), and UNIT (Present)._

_Linage: Last of the house of Watson and Holmes, unknown bloodline_

_?: Armageddon_

_Bank Statement: Vault 303 of the Watson house amount 13,000,450 Galleons est., Vault 221 of the Holmes house amount 18,000,420 Galleons est. and books from both vaults._

_Species: Unknown_

_Origin: Universe Delta Six Point Sixty-Nine, Planet Earth, Liverpool, England._

John stared at the parchment with an emotionless expression. She slowly moved to where she was sitting cross-legged and placed her cheek in the palm of her hand. So, not even magic knew what she was anymore. She decided that it didn't matter. _Cogito, ergo sum _and all that rot.

"Lady Watson, or would you rather Lady Holmes," Gnarltooth asked.

"Just John, please," John smiled slightly at Gnarltooth, "I've never believed that I was above someone else just because of a circumstance of birth, I'd rather we talk as equals."

"John," Gnarltooth stated as a smaller goblin opened the doors to the room and walked in with a small mahogany box, "We of Gringotts would like to help with the growth of your vaults, but to do that you must accept the rings of your house."

"I will request that a proxy be used in the Ministry for my seats," John nodded as she accepted her house rings and placed them on her right hand and watched as they melded into one silver band with an opal stone in the middle that housed the rune mark of her house, "I would ask for the head of the Potter Family to be my speaker, our families have always seen eye to eye about the magical community."

"It shall be done," Gnarltooth stated with a small nod as he sent off the smaller goblin to do that, "Anything else?"

"How far down are the vaults?" She asked with a toothy grin that was based on the Doctors.

Gnarltooth returned it.

An hour later John was walking around the Alley with her nose in a book and a messenger bag slung across her chest that she had gotten from the vaults. She was happily reading about Runes that were used for elemental magic. She blinked as she realized that she had forgotten about the Doctor and the others. Guilt bubbled up in her and she closed the book with a forlorn expression on her face. She had gotten so caught up in being back in the magical community, something that was so familiar to her, that she had chosen to forget about him and her friends. She looked towards the potion shop and decided to stock up on her supplies. She knew that she should most likely pick up a few books and something that would entertain the Doctor.

A few hundred galleons later and a bag of every flavored jelly babies that were a test by Berties, also a few boxes of every flavored jellybean for Sarah and Harry, she decided to apparate back to the Tardis. It was easier the second time and she barely had to wait for a few minutes. The Tardis unlocked for her and she walked in. She got a hum in greeting.

"I did bring you back a small item that you might like to look at," She smiled as she brought out a crystal globe, "It projects music and holds onto memories."

A hum of intrigue caused her to smile. A small compartment opened, and she placed the globe in it. Within seconds the sounds of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata the first movement began to play. She smiled as the Tardis let out frequencies that followed the music. The ship was singing to music that it enjoyed, and she was glad that she could give something that brought joy to the sentient ship.

"I should most likely find the Doctor and the others," She stated, "Knowing them, they're probably in trouble."

The Tardis gave her a hum of understanding and she headed out of the ship. She closed the door behind her and took out her wand. She let out a soft sigh and knew it was going to be harder to get away with magic around the Mundane. She felt a small smile appear on her face, she needed to make something with a rune that stopped the Ministry from being able to detect her magic, it would never list her as dead it just wouldn't let them take note of her magic being used.

"All right," She muttered as she twirled her wand in her fingers, "Locate Sarah Jane."

A set of coordinates appeared in the air before her and she raised her brows in thought at that. She knew where that was, it was an infirmary. Did Sarah get hurt while she was gone? John ran a hand down her face in slight worry. Sarah was usually safe with the Doctor, well for the most part. She winced as she remembered some of the hostage situations that Sarah had found herself in. She was a bit curious about everything, something she could understand.

She put her wand away and apparated to the area. She raised a brow as guns were pointed at her. She supposed that her sudden appearance could scare someone. This was a bit overkill in her opinion. The Uniforms caused her to make a face, UNIT no wonder they were ready to shoot her at her appearance.

"I'm looking for Sarah Jane-Smith," She stated as she raised her hands in defense, "Let her know that John is looking for her."

"Johana Watson?" One of the officers stated, a young man with chiseled features and short black hair.

"Yes, sir," She nodded.

"At ease men," The man stated, "Head right inside, Miss Watson."

"Thank you," She smiled.

She quickly headed towards the brick building. Once inside her nose crinkled at the strong smell of disinfectants. The white walls and floors of the building caused her eye to twitch, it was such a change from the stone walls she was used to. Magical society was stuck in the Victorian age for the most part. There have been a few technological advances such as the wireless wizard radio, but those were far and in between. She was brought out of her thoughts by someone vaulting into her.

"John, where have you been?" Sarah asked her as she was shaken a bit.

"I was taking care of some business elsewhere, what happened?" John asked her in an urgent tone.

"Harry was shot," Sarah explained, "Sister Lamont said he was lucky that all the bullet did was graze his skull."

"That is lucky," John muttered in slight surprise as the Doctor came around the corner with a man behind him.

"Who is this?" The man asked in a slightly posh and proper tone.

"John Watson, a pleasure to meet you," John introduced herself.

"Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart," The man introduced as they shook hands.

"Right," John nodded and released his hand before turning to the Doctor, "Will Harry be all right?"

"He should be, he just needs time," The Doctor informed her.

"Which we don't have much at," The Brigadier reminded him.

John watched as slight annoyance flickered across the Doctor's face. She was a bit amused at that and gave him a small smile and pat to the shoulder. He sent her a look at that, her amusement growing at that. She was enjoying this a bit too much for his liking.

"Sorry, but you have fun with that," She informed him, "I'll stay by Sarah's and Harry's side so that nothing happens."

"We'll keep you informed if there's an improvement in Harry's condition," Sarah told him.

He nodded at them before leaving with the Brigadier. John looked towards Sarah with raised brows. She was slightly surprised that she hadn't been shot after she appeared. Sarah had to agree with her on that one, though she didn't realize it, UNIT sometimes shot first ask later.

"Want a Jellybean?" John questioned as she held up a small box filled to the brim with strange colored beans.

"Sometimes you and the Doctor are very alike," Sarah commented with a slight smile as she reached into the small box of beans, "I've never seen jellybeans like this."

"Berties every flavor and they mean _every_ flavor," John warned, "I once got a vomit flavored one during the first day of Christmas holiday, that had turned into an interesting train ride."

Sarah stared at the bean for a few seconds before nibbling on the end. She felt some relief at the taste of strawberry sundae. She popped the bean into her mouth and grinned at the witch. They walked back to Harry's bedside to watch over him. He mumbled something in his unconscious state and remained asleep.

"So, what were you doing?" Sarah quietly asked as the last Sister left the room.

"I was at the bank," John smiled, "The wizarding bank, Gringotts, I needed to stock up on potion ingredients in case I needed to make more healing potions. Money was needed for that and for the second time in my life I was forced to take up Ladyship of two magical houses, a bit annoying on that part."

"You seem sad," Sarah pointed out.

"I saw people that were killed in the war," John admitted in a small tone, "One of which owns an ice cream parlor, he was killed helping mundane borns escape persecution, such a sweet man."

"Ice cream?" Sarah asked with a small glint in her eyes.

"Yes, such as orange cream with cream pops inside that would burst in your mouth," John grinned as she explained, a childlike glee that hadn't been on her face in years, "Raspberry swirls that were of all different colors, and mint that made your breath visible for hours."

"Sounds wonderful," Sarah chuckled, "Is it a family recipe?"

"Oh, it is," John nodded, "But guess who had an internship there for a summer?"

Sarah grinned at that before they both sobered up. It wouldn't be the same if Harry couldn't enjoy the sweets with them. John let out a low sigh and knew that his healing was a bit sped up. She wasn't stupid. She knew that traveling with the Doctor was bound to get one hurt, so she made sure that a small healing rune was on the items she had given them.

She dug around in her bag and retrieved her book. She picked up on the page she had been on and went back to reading it. It was quite interesting and there were runes in it that she was sure to use in the future. She knew that she had Sarah's attention and slowly lowered it so the brunette could read with her. The moving pictures depicting what the runes could do were enough to entertain anyone.

They sat like that for some time. Harry let out another sound and started to stir. John quickly shut her book and placed it in her bag as Sarah moved to help him. He frowned as he blearily looked around, the pain was evident in his features.

"Hello Sully," John greeted with a slight grimace, "It's nice to see you awake."

"John," Sarah sighed as she elbowed the witch.

"Sarah…John," Harry moaned out as he moved.

"Harry, it's all right," Sarah informed him in a soft tone.

"What's wrong?" John asked.

"There's a man on the beach," Harry mumbled.

John and Sarah had no clue what he meant by that. A sudden hand on their shoulders caused them to jump in slight surprise. John quickly put aside her fear and narrowed her eyes at the person who had snuck up on them. It was one of the sisters, and she had a look of surprise on her face.

"Sister Lamont," Sarah sighed in relief, "I didn't hear you, he's coming round."

"Doctor Sullivan, how are you feeling?" Sister Lamont asked Harry.

"Harry, what did you find out?" Sarah asked him, "Did Munro tell you anything?"

"Who?" John asked.

"The man on the beach, the one who was shot," Sarah supplied.

"The rig," Harry muttered, "The rig was shaking, falling."

"Sarah, go call the Doctor," John quietly requested, "Let's give Harry a few minutes to gather his thoughts."

"Right," Sarah nodded, "Stay with him."

John gave a cheeky salute to lighten the mood and Sarah rolled her eyes in response. Once the brunette left the room John felt her smile fall as she looked towards her bedridden friend in slight worry. He wasn't looking too good as he tried to get his bearings. Sweat was rolling down his face as he moved about in slight pain. She gave his hand a gentle pat.

"The rig smashed to pieces…nothing left," Harry muttered out, "Munro in the water, struggling…cold…hypothermia."

He then shot up in the bed and John moved back in surprise. She felt something behind her, and it covered her mouth before she could react. Her world went black for a few seconds and when she came to Sarah was pushing on her shoulder. She let out a groan.

"Y'know I used to be a general in a war," John stated, "My old teacher would be appalled at how I keep getting knocked unconscious."

"That's the least of our worries," Sarah hissed, "Is there a way to get out of this room?"

"I'll unlock it," John informed her, "This is a lock I know."

John knelt in front of the door and studied the lock. A simple unlocking spell wouldn't do the trick, too many springs, and latches. She needed to do it manually. She took out her wand and began to use a levitation charm on the springs and latches. Sarah stood behind her with worry on her face. She ran a hand down her face and jumped as the door opened.

"Doctor, you are so lucky I didn't stun you," John informed the man with a slight sigh, "Where are we?"

"The decompression chamber," He answered, as he walked into the room to look them both over for injuries.

He seemed happy that they were all right. A bit annoyed that they had been targeted but relieved all the same. John got up from the floor and let out a low curse as the door closed again. The lock shut on them as she felt her left eye twitch in annoyance.

"Of course," She muttered in a dark tone as she knelt back down to work on the lock, "Always something."

She paused as a loud humming filled the air. They all looked towards the wall. It hadn't sounded good. John shook her head and went back to working on the lock. She was moving through the lock at a much faster pace then she had been.

"What was that noise?" Sarah asked the Doctor.

"I don't know, but that's not the air conditioning," He answered with a frown not liking the idea of not knowing something.

Within a few minutes, it got harder to breathe. John paused in her attempt to unlock the lock and let out a cough. She noticed that Sarah and the Doctor were struggling as well and waved her wand. Small bubbles appeared around their heads and it got a bit easier to breathe.

"I feel rather silly," Sarah commented as the Doctor poked at the bubble around his head.

"It helps to breathe underwater," John informed her as she got one of the springs to move, "I suppose it'll help us last in this chamber, at least for a while."

"Have you made any progress with the lock?" Sarah asked her as she looked over John's shoulder to see how she was doing.

John gave her a strained smile as a small white line went into the lock and wiggled around. It was crude, but it had worked before. She usually used this charm on locks she knew. This one was familiar, but she had never used magic to unlock it before. It was one of those times that she cursed the fact that Sherlock had taken her lockpick kit. It would've come in handy. A loud click sounded, and she used her magic to overwhelm the system that caused the decompression chamber to work. Air hissed and the door swung open.

"After you," John smiled at Sarah.

Sarah quickly got out of the chamber and the bubble around her head gave a quiet pop and she was left with the distinct smell of vanilla and mint. It was rather pleasant. The Doctor walked out of the chamber next and soon John came out. Her wand was back in her sleeve and there was a distinct impression that she had liked the challenge the lock gave her but would have liked it even better if the situation had been better.

"You act as if you've never seen a decompression chamber," Sarah pointed out.

"I haven't, we use potions and charms," John explained, "The Magical community is still stuck in the Victorian age, very classist and very unwelcoming to those who come from the modern age."

That had caused a lull in the conversation as they moved to regroup with one of the UNIT soldiers, a man by the name of Benton who had taken a liking to the witch. She had in return given him a jellybean, he had some serious luck that it was toast. A smile had appeared on her face as she imagined the horror stories that would have been told about her if he had happened to get grass or even earwax. Perhaps it was for the best. She tuned into the conversation when it turned to how the entire area seemed like it had been gassed.

"Everyone in the village is affected," Benton stated.

"Must be nerve gas," John commented as she thought back to Baskerville, "One that could affect the consciousness, if so then it should wear off after a while."

"Should I be worried that you know about chemical warfare?" Benton asked.

"Not really," She answered as she put her hands into her pockets, "You should be more concerned with who knocked out the entire village and what for."

"It just doesn't make any sense," Benton muttered as he thought about it.

"Yes, it does," The Doctor stated as he shuffled through his pockets, "Someone or something wanted to pass unseen, you are still on duty, correct, Mister Benton?"

"Yes, sir," Benton confirmed with a curt nod of his head.

"Then get outside and scout around," The Doctor ordered.

Benton quickly left the room. John watched him go with a slight wince, the Doctor was slightly annoyed and was taking it out on UNIT. She wondered if he had ever thought about resigning so they wouldn't call on him anymore. She began to twist her ring in thought.

Sarah was leaning against the wall watching as everything went down. The Doctor was still shuffling about in his pockets and the owner of the Fox Inn, Huckle, was staring at John with narrowed eyes. The witch seemed to feel his eyes and narrowed hers at him. There seemed to be recognition between the two.

"You look like one of them," Huckle stated.

"Please don't play the pronoun game," John requested, "If you have something to say just come out and say it."

"One of those types that keep causing trouble for the rest of us," Huckle said and it seemed to dawn on her what he meant.

"You think I'm," She cut herself off with a bark of a laugh, "Believe me, mate, I'd rather die than be a part of their bleedin' circle."

"You aren't?" He questioned.

"I'm not, here," She smiled as she dug into her pocket and handed something over to him.

He opened it and a slight smile appeared on his face before the paper burned up in his hands. He grinned at that and clapped her on the shoulder. Sarah and the Doctor had watched that exchange with slight confusion. It had to be something that was happening in the world that John belonged to.

"How much longer do you reckon' the war'll last?" Huckle asked.

"A few more years give or take," She shrugged, "Not much the order can do since the Ministry refuses to step up and act like a government."

"Too right," He agreed, "Bleedin' idiots."

She grinned at that. It was nice to see someone who had agreed with her and her father. Not many people did. In fact, it had been dangerous at one point to disagree with them. There were several

"I think I'll look around the perimeter," John shrugged, "I'd feel better knowing the area."

She had quickly left before anyone could ask her to stay. Sarah simply sighed at her friends' strange habits before turning towards Huckle. The Doctor had seen the discomfort in John's body language. She was done with the war that was going on in the Magical community, it was something she had most likely grown up in if he was to believe the time frame between the two universes. No wonder she had fled while she could.

John let out a soft sigh as she walked around outside. She waved to Benton, who gave her an enthusiastic wave back, before heading into the grass. She really did want a feel of the land around the small village. It would help if she were to get into any skirmishes. She looked around and gave a slightly fond smile. The area would be a good spot for a quick Quidditch match.

She walked away from the medical center and hit a patch of long grass. It reached her knees and she could feel the dew through her jeans. She heard her dragon skin boots squelching in the mud as she traveled further. It was a break for her, to help her pull her thoughts together. As much as she wanted to join the Doctor in this adventure, she wanted to think back to how sloppy she had gotten.

She slid down a small hill, the mud helping her to travel at a decent speed and slope, and continued walking for quite a while until she came across a small patch of trees. She leaned against one of the trees and closed her eyes. There was a feeling of deep self-loathing that she couldn't ignore. Harry had gotten hurt because she had chosen to go to the bank and see if she had any type of funds available to her.

She knew Doctor Who and she knew the repercussions of meddling with time, all of those who had knowledge of time turners knew that. She wanted to help, but she really didn't know what could happen if she were to drastically change the course of history or the "plot" of an "episode". She knew that she had changed things on Voga, Vorus was meant to die. A part of her couldn't let that happen to him, sure he had been an evil bastard, but he was working for what he thought was the best for his planet.

She looked across the rolling hills and took a deep breath of air. She was close to the heather. She hadn't realized she'd walk that far. Time and distance always seemed like such a trifle thing when she was in deep thought.

She thought back to the Doctor and a small smile appeared on her face. If she could keep him and her friends safe, then wasn't it a good thing if history was changed? She didn't want to lose them, as selfish as that was. She couldn't, not so soon. She let out a shaky breath and strengthened her resolve, it was time for her to step up and help. If she had to call on Armageddon, then she would.

She would let it rain down upon those who threatened her loved ones.

Speaking of loved ones. She blinked as the Doctor appeared before her, he had fallen into the heather. She looked up to see what had been chasing him and stalled for a few seconds. With a simple flick of her wand, she stopped it from coming closer. The Doctor looked up at her in surprise and she smiled down at him.

"So, Loch Ness monster?" She asked in a slightly amused tone.

"Give or take," He answered as he got up to his feet.

She looked back at the creature, Skarasen if she remembered correctly, and noticed it was confused. She stopped her spell and it shuffled in place. She held a hand out to it and it sniffed it for a few seconds before placing its nose against her palm. She gave it a small pat. It was similar to a cat with the way that it was acting. She smiled softly.

"Go home, and stop causing trouble," She told it.

It let out a sound that was a cross between a whine and a sound of acknowledgment. It began to move away from the heather. She smiled as she watched it head back to the water. She felt horrible for the creature, it was being controlled and had been forced to leave the water to chase after the Doctor.

"You all right?" She asked the Doctor.

"Fantastic," He confirmed, "How'd you get out here?"

"I walked, get me in a deep enough thought I could probably walk across England without realizing it," She stated with a slight wince, "It's how I was able to make it to my classes."

He didn't have a response to that one. He moved towards the hill that he had fallen down and began to walk up it. John followed behind him and made quick work of the hill. He had been ready to hold a hand out to help her and she simply sent him a small smile.

There was something different about her like she had come to a conclusion she had been searching for. It was rather refreshing to see if he was being honest. It brought out some of her self-confidence that was normally hidden behind her soft-spoken nature. He began to walk when he noticed that she was waiting patiently for him. They walked side by side as they headed back the way he had come.

It was a rather pleasant walk.


	9. 9

Chapter 9

_Zygons Ahoy_

* * *

"You highjacked a Land Rover," John commented as she saw the car in the distance, "Didn't you?"

"I'm an opportunist," The Doctor defended.

"I wasn't judging you," She stated in an apologetic tone, "You are talking to the person who highjacked a fishing boat with their cousin who always wanted to be a pirate."

"You don't seem the type," He commented.

"That's the secret," She winked at him while gently tapping her nose, she then seemed to realize something and dug around in her bag, "I got you something at the candy shop, be careful while eating them."

She handed him a bag of Jelly Babies that said every flavor on it. He had a feeling that he should take that seriously. The Magical community seemed to enjoy wordplay. He placed it in his coat pocket and gave her a tilt of his head in thanks. She smiled at that and placed her hands into her pockets.

He really was enjoying how open she was. He was learning more about the woman who had messed with time to the point where she had split herself into atoms. She was entertaining, but he knew that he shouldn't put her into the same category as humans. She was something new that had been created by looking through the time vortex. Rewriting her entire genetic code and causing her to create Huon particles as if they were normal red blood cells. If he looked at her wrist, at the veins that were visible through the skin, they would look normal which is what threw him for a slight loop. He reckoned the vein itself hadn't changed, but the object flowing through it did.

"I believe the search party has shown up," John joked.

She had raised a hand and waved at the car that had stopped at the Land Rover. A small figure stood up and was waving back enthusiastically. John let out a grin and hurried her pace. The Doctor watched her with a slightly surprised expression on his face. A smile, not one of his manic grins, spread across his face at the sight. She came across the Land Rover and Sarah popped out from the front seat with a slightly confused expression that was mixed with amusement.

"John, how'd you find the Doctor?" Sarah asked the witch.

"I could walk across England when in deep thought," John admitted in a sheepish tone as she scratched the back of her head, "How'd you lot find us so quickly?"

"The Doctor left a trail," Sarah motioned towards some skid marks on the pavement.

"Of course, he did," John muttered in slight amusement, "So, what were you looking for?"

"A signal," Sarah answered.

"Did you locate the base?" The Doctor asked as he entered the conversation.

"The signal seemed to be coming from the Loch Ness," Sarah answered with a small nod, "It seems very unlikely, but not impossible."

"Well then, ready, Brigadier?" He asked the man who had been driving the Land Rover that Sarah was in.

"Ready for what?" The Brigadier asked with a slight frown.

"To visit the Duke," He answered, "We're going to Forgill castle."

He opened the door to the back seats and climbed in with ease. John headed towards the other side and did the same. Once they were situated the Brigadier took off. He drove the speed limit, so it would be a while before they made it to the castle.

The Doctor fiddled around with his runestone while John read her book. He was running a finger along the surface of the stone. He was trying to judge how deeply the runes were carved into it. It was a few centimeters at least. He placed it back into his waistcoat pocket, this time it was tartan along with most of his clothes. He sometimes liked wearing local colors, he wasn't too taken with the hat if he was being honest.

He looked towards his seatmate and grew interested in her book. He discreetly moved closer so he could read over her shoulder. He missed the slightly fond smile on John's face as she moved her book down so it was easier for them both to read. He would probably gleam more from it than Sarah did, it seemed like time lords were able to do some magic of their own with science. A dimension stuffed inside a small ship was a fantastic example of that.

She was surprised when he didn't even hide the fact that he was reading over her shoulder anymore. She didn't realize that the Doctor didn't care much for personal space, it didn't bother her either. It was making it hard to read though, his hair kept brushing against her cheek. She was surprised at how soft his curls were.

She looked out the window for half a second and watched as a dreary castle began to appear in the distance. She looked back at her book to see the Doctor turning the page on her, or at least trying to. She picked up her thumb and the old thick parchment turned. He continued to read as she distractedly stared at the pages. He had placed his hand on top of hers to hold onto the book, so he had a bit of a better angle. She didn't know why it was distracting her so much.

She blinked as it dawned on her. A silent curse went through her thoughts and she tried to focus on the rune that allowed her to freeze water. It was hard to focus when he was right next to her. She took a very quiet deep breath and looked at her book once again and began to read. She only stopped when the car began to slow down. She slowly closed the book and the Doctor simply sat up straight in his seat as she put it into her bag.

The car came to a stop and the occupants got out. The Brigadier was having just the slightest troubles in getting out due to the kilt he was wearing. John shot him a slightly amused look as she closed the car door behind her. She quickly removed the expression from her face when he looked towards her. He gave her a look as they all walked up to the castle. She completely ignored it, a little too amused by his situation.

It was his turn to be amused when the Doctor brushed past her and she turned a light pink before moving out of the taller man's way. Leave it to the alien to have girls falling for him, he had been like that with his past face as well. It wasn't his looks, but his personality that drew people in. He was about to rescind that compliment when the Doctor opened the door to the castle and waltzed in.

"One of these days someone is going to shoot you," John informed the Doctor, her slight moment of fluster forgotten.

As they moved around the room the Doctor simply grinned in amusement at that. She narrowed her eyes at him before moving to look at the suits of armor. She knew that they didn't move like the ones at Hogwarts, though she was still under the impression that the house-elves moved them. It sounded like something the small creatures would do to make some of the first year's smile.

"I really don't think we should just walk in unannounced," The Brigadier informed the Doctor as he stood near the front door with his hands behind his back.

"Well, there's nobody to announce us, is there," The Doctor stated without missing a beat.

"Most of the staff left to work for the oil company," Sarah informed them as she looked at one of the books and frowned at the title, "I can't say that I blame them."

"They probably get treated better at the company then they do here," John stated, "Old families like this one are pretty horrid, there are very few that are wonderful."

"There you are," The Doctor stated as he opened a door and a man was shown to them.

"Perhaps you'll explain this intrusion?" The man asked as his dark brows raised in surprise.

"Nobody opened the front door," The Doctor answered.

"He really is going to get shot one of these days," Sarah mumbled to John.

"He still wouldn't learn anything from it," John added with a teasing grin.

"Do you have a reason for calling?" The man questioned.

"Yes," The Doctor confirmed.

It was silent for a few seconds and the man gave him a look to continue. As funny as the silence was, it was starting to annoy John. She looked at the Doctor and then the Brigadier as the man waited for more information. She made a face before sighing.

"We have reason to believe that there is something unusual in the Loch Ness," John stated, and all eyes turned to her, "What, the conversation was lulling."

"Don't tell me you've found the monster," The man said as he chose to ignore that last part.

"As it happens, your Grace, that's just what we do mean," Sarah confirmed.

"I do believe you're serious," The man stated, John supposed that was Duke Forgill.

"We are," The Doctor confirmed, "Very."

"Depth charges?" The Duke questioned them.

"With your Grace's permission," The Brigadier nodded, "As you own part of the shoreline."

"The problem is you can't explode depth charges in Loch Ness," John stated as she tapped a finger against her chin in thought, "I believe several laws are preventing such things from occurring."

"It's the only way," The Brigadier informed her, "The creature must be destroyed."

He backed away at the dark expression that passed over her face at those words. The creature was just being used by someone else. It just wanted to live its life in peace and now someone wanted to blow it up. She felt bad for it, not that it would understand her pity.

"Doctor, are you a party to this militaristic nonsense?" The Duke questioned.

"I'm not a party to any kind of nonsense, your Grace," The Doctor answered.

John gave him a look at that. He was a party to his own special brand of nonsense and couldn't help but find those words rather humorous. She looked away from him and noticed the indecision on the Duke's face. It was his responsibility to make sure the Loch Ness remained alone, not that he had much help to do that since the oil company sprouted up in the area. Something like this could be brought up to parliament to see if anyone had any ideas on how to handle the Skarasen, or rather Nessie.

"There's no proof," The Duke stated, "There has never been any actual proof that the monster exists."

"Of course it exists," Sarah defended, "It chased the Doctor half across Tullock Moor."

"Wait, that's how far I walked?" John murmured in surprise before turning to the Doctor, "Half across Tullock Moor?"

"It was quite a chase," The Doctor informed her in amusement.

"We believe it's been destroying these oil rigs," The Brigadier added.

"Are you suggesting that the creature walked overland without being seen?" The Duke questioned.

"An underground river," The Doctor stated.

"The Loch Ness is fifty feet above sea level," The Duke said in a dry tone.

"I know, your Grace, I know," The Doctor said in the politest tone he could manage, "But there's a subterranean channel leading from Loch Ness to the Devil's Punchbowl, a small Loch near the village, it's near the sea and would make a useful back door for the monster, wouldn't you say?"

"I've never heard such nonsense," The Duke exclaimed, "Are you seriously suggesting that the creature commutes between here and the North Sea whenever it feels like it?"

"Whenever it's ordered to," The Doctor countered, "We know it's controlled by a signal system."

"Controlled? By whom?" The Duke asked.

"Aliens," The Doctor answered.

"It sounds like nonsense, but we do have substantial evidence to support this claim," John said in a tone that was equal parts stern and serious.

"Nonsense? It's completely mad," The Duke stated as he lifted his homburg hat and ran a hand through his dark hair, "You lot are in here talking about aliens as if they exist."

"I know exactly how you feel, sir," The Brigadier said to try and calm the Duke down, "Before I joined UNIT, I was highly skeptical about these things."

"You are all utterly unhinged," The Duke informed them as the Doctor and John shared a look being the only two nonhumans in the room, "Must be to think of aliens with wireless sets."

"Well, it takes all sorts to make a galaxy, your Grace," The Doctor stated.

"Half of these books are devoted to the subject of the monster," The Duke said as he motioned towards the bookshelves full of books with a flourish of his hand, "There have been reported sightings since the Middle Ages and now you're saying that aliens have been living under the Loch for centuries?"

"Yes, I'm saying exactly that," The Doctor grinned.

"Then why have they suddenly become aggressive?" The Brigadier questioned.

"Something to do with the oil, perhaps?" Sarah suggested.

"I thought that too at first," John admitted before frowning in thought, "It's more like the Oil company built a base in the middle of its path and making it go around the village."

"Which is why its masters released nerve gas and why you went to sleep, Brigadier," The Doctor added as the phone rang and the Duke went to answer it.

"That doesn't seem a good enough reason to start attacking oil rigs," The Brigadier countered.

"Well, perhaps not in itself, maybe, but perhaps their plans may have changed recently," The Doctor stated.

"A change in plans could be disastrous," John muttered to herself as she eyed the Duke.

She didn't trust him, not a bit. She was agitated by the man and she knew that was because of the unknown. This was a story about the Zygons, she didn't have that one though she did have most of Sarah Janes run with the Doctor. She moved a little bit away from the group and turned her attention towards the books. She didn't touch them but scanned the titles.

"John, stay here and keep an eye on Sarah," The Doctor quietly said in her ear.

"I'll make sure to keep her safe, keep yourself safe will ya?" She murmured back at him as she took one of the books off the shelf and eyed it before putting it back.

"I do believe that you would raise me from the dead just to kill me again, Miss Watson," The Doctor joked, and he got an amused smile from his words.

"You aren't wrong, but magic like that is forbidden and I'd rather not be sent to Azkaban for necromancy," She informed him.

He had a few hundred questions at those words. He started to leave with the Brigadier but stopped and pulled something from one of his pockets. He pressed it into the palm of her right hand and her fingers wrapped around it. She didn't look at it until he was gone. She shared a look with Sarah as they both turned to the books. She took a chance to see what the Doctor had pressed into her hand. He had given her a pocket watch of all things, she placed it in the pocket of her jeans and looked up at the books on the shelves.

"Your Grace," John called and got the man's attention, "What are the large volumes up on the top?"

"Monastic records," He replied, "There has been a monastery on this site from the eleventh century onwards."

"May I have a look?" She asked.

"Certainly," He smiled as he tugged on a bell pull before giving her a slight smirk, "I trust you can read Medieval Latin?"

"Yes, I can," John nodded, giving a small smile as she looked towards the large volumes in thought, "It was a curriculum at the school I had gone to."

He didn't seem to have anything to say about that and she heard Sarah ask him if he had ever seen the monster. She had a feeling that the answer would be no. She barely raised her brows as she turned out to be right. She reached up and made to grab one of the large volumes, her fingers grazed the spine. She bit her lip slightly and looked around.

"_Priorsus_." She hissed.

The book flew into her outstretched fingers and she almost fell at the force. She felt her ears burn as she opened the book and began to speed read. It was written in cursive, and Latin and cursive mixed as well together as oil and water. She frowned as she had to study each word one by one. The Duke's servant, Caber came by with a stool for Sarah and the two were left alone in the room.

"Something seems off about those two," Sarah commented.

"Yeah, I don't know what though," John stated as Sarah headed up the small stool, "It's like they have something to hide, too bad I've never been one for Legilimency."

"I'm sorry, what?" Sarah questioned.

"A type of mind reading," John answered, "I know of the arts, but I never had time to practice it."

"I'm glad you didn't," Sarah muttered.

"My sentiments exactly," John smiled as Sarah leaned forward.

She let out a yelp as one of the shelves moved. A secret passage was revealed to them. John abandoned her book to investigate with the shorter brunette. She brought out her wand and gave it a quick flick. A small ball of light flew from the tip and illuminated the passageway.

"Brilliant," Sarah grinned.

They went into the passageway and the smell of damp stone hit their noses. Sarah crinkled her's slightly while John simply kept her wand at the ready. She was used to the smell because of potions. The dungeons got rather damp during the springtime when the snow melted. Ferns caressed the sides of their legs as they walked down the passage. It seemed like a rather short walk until they came across a large door.

"Five quid says it's a spaceship," Sarah stated with slight humor.

"I would be an idiot to bet against that," John chuckled as she made the ball of light wait outside the door as they entered, "But it does explain why we think there's something off about the Duke."

It was silent between the two and the humming of the ship filled the air. John looked up at the overhead lights and winced at how bright they were. She looked back down as they entered a strange hallway. Cells were lining the hallway and inside were people. The Duke and the Sister from the hospital. Well, she supposed that explained what had attacked her back at the hospital.

"Harry!" Sarah exclaimed and they both hurried forward.

"Sarah! John!" Harry exclaimed with a surprised smile, "Well, come on, open the door we need to get out of here."

"Stand back," John warned the two.

Sarah took a step back while Harry took several. She made a sudden jabbing motion and the lock to the door exploded in a shower of sparks. The door slid open and Harry coughed from the smoke billowing from the lock. He stared at it for a few moments while John holstered her wand.

"Well done, old girl," Harry stated.

"It's him," John smiled as she caught sight of the cuff links, "Those cuff links would never work for a copy."

"Someone's coming," Sarah hissed as the smoke cleared.

The three sprinted into the room that Harry had been in. John closed the door behind them and hid behind a bit of metal wall that stuck out in front of the door. She knelt and kept an ear out for any conversation. She shared a look with Sarah who was doing the same.

"Soon we shall revert to our normal form," A voice said in the distance.

"Good, I loathe this abomination of a body," A female voice stated as the voices grew distant once more.

"All clear," Harry whispered, "I think they've gone."

"Well, let's find the Doctor and Brigadier and fast," Sarah stated.

It didn't take them long to find the entrance to the secret passage once again. Sarah and John were in the lead and as such Harry was content to just follow behind. They hurried through the spaceship doors and the ball of light quickly shot ahead of them. They moved so fast that they didn't notice the surprise on the Brigadier's face as they burst through the door that led to the secret passage.

"Brigadier! We've found the aliens. They've got a spaceship under the loch!" Sarah exclaimed.

"We're going to need reinforcements, sir," Harry added.

"The Duke we met is an imposter," John put her bit in, "Him and his servant."

"Is he?" The Doctor questioned.

"Doctor!" Sarah exclaimed in surprise as John nodded.

"Hello," Harry greeted.

"Yes, it leads to the spaceship," John answered him before he could even ask, he grinned and headed in while she turned to the Brigadier, "I'll look after him."

"Nice of you to join me," The Doctor stated as John easily caught up with him.

"Ah, I missed exploring dungeon-like tunnels," She grinned, "One of the things Sherlock and I got into trouble doing."

He didn't get to question what she meant by that when they were both taken down by a beam of light. The Doctor was out for the count while John looked around in slight annoyance. She couldn't really move, besides the slight twitch of her fingers. She felt something grab her ankle and drag her across the moss-covered floor all the way to the hallway in the spaceship. At least she got to share a room with the Doctor.

She felt the paralysis wear off after a few minutes and grabbed her wand. She flicked it towards the Doctor, and he bolted upright. She sent her wand back up her sleeve as began to brush off her clothes. Moss fell to the ground as the Doctor fixed the hat on his head.

"We're being watched," She warned the Doctor in a low tone.

"It seems like it," He commented as he looked towards the Zygon that was standing guard.

John simply sent him a look and he knew that she couldn't really get him out of this situation without getting either of them hurt. She went and sat in a corner and he watched as her metal rod was brought out and a stone appeared in her hand. In all honesty, she knew that the Brigadier would make a distraction for them to escape. She just had to be patient. She didn't even react when the Doctor decided to take a seat next to her and watch as she inscribed runes on the stone.

"Do you always make protective stones?" He quietly asked her.

Her hands stilled for a few seconds and he watched as she contemplated answering. It was one of the few things that he could tell was a sensitive topic to her. He watched as her pointer finger on the rock tapped in a short rhythm. He was tempted to press a hand against her finger to stop the tapping, it was the rhythm of his heartsbeats.

"It's a force of habit," She muttered, "Do I need to stop?"

"No, I was merely curious," He replied with raised brows, "Is it safe to ask what happened?"

"I would tell you to read the books, but not all of the information is in there," She replied with a slight frown her tone growing quieter as she was brought back into memories she'd rather forget.

"You made Kellman feel what you had," He commented, "It was enough to shake a man who was ready to double-cross cybermen."

"I don't know if what I did to him would work on you," She muttered in deep thought, "I'd rather not test that right now."

He simply stared at her and she simply looked at the stone in her hand. She rubbed a thumb across a rune that was used for healing, it was a family rune one that she had recently acquired. She would rather not make him feel what she did. She didn't want anyone else to feel what like this. It wasn't fun, it wasn't rewarding. It had made Armageddon a staple in her life, she didn't doubt that if there had been no war Armageddon would be something that she could easily ignore.

The ship gave a harsh lurch to the right and the Doctor crashed into her. She put out an arm to stop her momentum and ended up with a tall man on top of her. He did stop their momentum. He barely glanced at her as he kept them from falling as the ship lurched once again. There was no reaction when her left hand found a place on his person.

"Sounds like the Brigadier," The Doctor stated with a grin.

"We're being attacked!" A Zygon announced, "Prepare for flight!"

"Do you think you could get the door open?" The Doctor asked John.

"Not while the guard is still there," She answered him, "But, I can be one hell of a distraction while you get the door open Mr. Science man."

He didn't even react to that as she moved toward the door. He simply watched as she was paralyzed once again by the Zygon, who turned and left towards the pilot's cabin. He let out a low chuckle at her expression as she laid on the ground. He headed towards her and met her eyes. She sent him the dirtiest look he had ever gotten from a companion and he let out another chuckle. The ship had lurched again, and he almost lost his balance, a slight snort hit his ears and he looked towards the down woman. Her eyes were glinting in amusement.

"I'm surprised you went down that fast," He commented.

She simply got up and sent him a look. With a click of her fingers, the lock on the door let out sparks. She headed out and he couldn't help but stare after her. He was just wondering where the confidence had come from. It was oddly…attractive? He supposed he could say that about her in general as well. He looked towards the wall and had a sudden idea.

"John," He called for the witch and she turned to face him with a raised brow, "I have an idea, do you think that half power is lethal?"

"Depends on how much comes with half power," She answered as she rejoined him in the small holding cell.

He pulled on a cable that had been poking out of the wall and turned to her with a manic grin. She sighed and closed the door. He moved towards her and reached for the door. She was biting her lip slightly in worry. His hand touched the door and an electric current went through his body. He let out a cry in pain and she watched as sparks shot out of the lock. After a few seconds, it stopped, and he fell to the ground. She rushed forward and started to search for a pulse.

She dropped to her knees and let out a sound of disbelief. He had to make it through this since he had more adventures to come. She just couldn't believe that he would willingly electrocute himself to create a diversion. She pushed some of his hair back and winced when the door slammed open. She found herself shielding the Doctor with herself a glare on her faces

"Is he dead?" The Zygon wearing the Duke's face asked with a slight sneer.

"Yes, commander," A Zygon answered as he scanned the Doctor with a small device, "The power destroyed him."

"This one will stay in here with the corpse," The _Duke_ stated as they left the room.

The door slammed behind them and John flinched at the sound as it echoed in the quiet cell. She slowly moved away from the Doctor as the sounds of footsteps grew fainter. She let out a soft sigh and ran a hand through her hair. She found herself sitting against a wall staring at the Doctor and hoping that he would get up. She jumped as she got her wish. He had bolted upright and was looking around with wide eyes.

"So, how much was half-power?" She asked with a slight grin.

"Almost too much power," He replied as he sprung up to his feet and walked over to her.

He held a hand out to her and she accepted it. He pulled her to her feet with ease, and she looked to the door. She wasn't going to point out to him that he was still holding onto her hand-not that she really noticed it herself- even as they left the room. It was when her hand began to grow warm that she even noticed that he had a hold of her.

"What are you looking for, Doctor?" She asked him with a slight frown.

"The real Duke," He answered.

"Right," She muttered as they moved further into the ship, "He was towards the back here."

She took the lead and led him to the Duke's chamber, now that she thought about it was a bit more like an alcove in the wall. The Doctor released her hand and began to mess with some of the controls that were next to the door. John watched as the Duke woke up and looked around in a dazed fashion. She felt bad for the man, being kidnapped by an alien had to be hard. Waking up in a different place was just annoying, in her opinion.

"Who are you two?" The Duke asked them.

"His Grace the Duke of Forgill, I presume?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes," The Duke answered in a short tone, "Where the blazes am I?"

"On a spaceship," John answered in a blunt tone and at his skeptical look she smiled, "No, really, you're on a spaceship."

The Doctor had taken that time to release the others that had been taken by the Zygons. The Duke was eyeing John with slight skepticism and she simply smiled at him as he then began to study his surroundings. She looked away for a few seconds and the Duke looked back at her and gave a slightly appreciative look as he looked at her profile. She had one of those noses that were straight and jutted out from her face. Stronger features than he was used to on a woman. A sudden siren made him jump.

"John," The Doctor called for her.

"What did you do now?" She asked him in a calm tone, and he sent her a look.

"Why do you assume _I_ did something?" He questioned.

She simply raised a brow at that.

"Right, everyone back to the alcoves," He ordered, and the newly woken people ran back to their alcoves and closed the doors, "Let's see how good their fire drill is."

"I hope you have a plan this time," John whispered to him as they both hid in an alcove.

He simply tapped his nose at her, and she felt her eye twitch at that. He looked out of the alcove and moved back a bit. John sent him a look as he pulled her back as well. She simply rolled her eyes and pulled her wand out. With a wave, the Doctor gave a shiver. It felt as though someone had poured a glass of ice water on his head and the ice cubes had slipped under his clothing.

"Now you are invisible to the eye, but still audible," John told him, and he looked at her.

She was a bit surprised at that. If one was under any illusion than they couldn't be seen, yet he could. It was something she would have to ask him about later. If he was willing to answer her questions, then she would answer his. They had yet to even have a small session of twenty questions where he got his questions answered. The Zygons walked through the room and the Doctor moved out from the alcove as they exited. He felt his body become warm as the illusion was removed from him and John.

"Okay, everyone quick," He quietly stated, and the others came out of their Alcoves, "It won't take them long to realize it's a false alarm."

They began to rush from the room and headed down a hallway. Their footsteps echoed against the metal walls and John winced at the sound. It wasn't very stealthy. It was something that would have gotten her in trouble with the caretaker back at Hogwarts. Staying in the library after hours was something that she had a problem with, the librarian didn't mind her, but the caretaker sure did. They ran into the control room and the Doctor turned to her.

"Break the vacuum mechanism to jam the door," He ordered.

"Right," She nodded and went to do so.

She grabbed onto the control pseudopod and ripped it off the wall. He looked at her for a few seconds and Sister Lamont had to cover her mouth so she wouldn't chuckle at the two. John had impressed him with that one and he caught the control pseudopod when she tossed it to him. A small grin on her face.

"That broken enough for ya?" She asked him as her grin turned cheeky.

"More than enough," He answered as he gave a slight cough, "Right let's see what other damage we can do, anybody know what this is?"

He was holding up a piece of metal that was orange and glowing. It was covered in lumps and John tilted her head slightly. She was trying to think of what it was. She snapped her fingers as it hit her.

"A self-destructor," She answered, and he grinned as he messed with the lumps on the metal.

"Right," He stated as the orange light began to oscillate, "We've got about sixty seconds before the whole ship blows up."

That got everyone into action, and they rushed towards the nearest escape hatch. John had to applaud the Zygon's engineering. It was rather smart to have the escape hatch inside the control room and nowhere else. Did she say smart? She meant a bit mental. Who put the escape hatch in the control room only? She had to ignore that line of thought as the Doctor landed on the earth below the spaceship. They were in a quarry of all places. The Duke was next and his servant Caber. The Doctor held out a hand and helped the sister out and then reached for John. She accepted his hand and he pulled her out of the ship.

"Run!" John yelled towards the others, "Head to shelter!"

They began to rush towards the line of UNIT cars that were parked near the ship. It took them a few seconds until they came across a sandbank. They jumped behind it and took shelter. The sounds of footsteps rushing about hit their ears as the UNIT soldiers took shelter from the explosion as well.

A loud boom sounded through the area and wind whipped around. Sand rained down above the five in the sandbank. Raven hair slowly turned into a light grey as sand got caught in the thick strands. The Doctor jumped when she jolted slightly as more sand rained down on them. Her eyes were wide, and she was staring ahead with a distant look. He blinked at that and realized what was happening as she started to shake. He slowly grabbed her hand. It took her a minute until she responded by holding his hand. He got a thankful grimace from her as she calmed down for a few seconds.

The wind calmed down and the smell of burning metal filled the area. The five got up from the sandbank and headed towards the UNIT soldiers. The Doctor had yet to release John's hand and the Brigadier simply raised a brow at that. The woman seemed a bit off sorts compared to what he knew about her.

"Was that bang big enough for you, Brigadier?" The Doctor asked him.

"Nicely done, Doctor," Harry commented as he and Sarah walked up to the group, "That's the end of the Zygons, eh?"

"Not entirely," The Doctor replied, "Broton escaped and he still has control of the monster, he plans to attack some target in London."

John didn't want to know how he knew that. She had a feeling that he had most likely looked through the computer while he had the chance, or he asked one of the victims. She sighed and moved away from the topic and looked towards the taller man. He looked thoughtful.

"Is he attacking close to the Thames?" Sarah asked as she tapped her chin in thought.

"Yes, and this time it'll be spectacular," The Doctor answered.

"He's going for spectacle, something people will remember," John stated as she frowned.

"When I spoke to the prime minister earlier, she was about to leave for Stanbridge house," The Brigadier informed them, "And that's on the river."

"I'm guessing you lot have a woman prime minister right now," John commented, "From what I remember it was a man named Harold Wilson, how strange, but no matter, what's happening at Stanbridge House?"

"The Fourth International Energy Conference," The Duke answered, "The place'll be full of VIPs from all over the world, it's a meeting of crucial importance."

"Ah," The Doctor stated, "That could be it."

"Yes, but he'd need a pass to get in," The Brigadier commented, "The security's very tight."

"But he'll have a pass," Sarah piped up with a mischievous grin, "The Duke, the real Duke, he's President of the Scottish Energy Commission."

"And you have Lady Watson-Holmes," John stated with an equally mischievous grin, "Head of two old families that can get you into any political event that you need to be in."

"Handy," The Doctor stated.

"When it needs to be, feel bad for the person sitting in my place during the meetings the ministry has," She stated with a slight wince, "I don't miss those, those are enough to make anyone become a mass murderer."

No one questioned that as they all got into a land rover. The back seat was home to the Doctor and John again. John sitting in the middle as she was squished between the Doctor and the Duke. She had an expression on her face that showed that she knew exactly how someone could take the sight of her squished between two men. It was bad enough being this close to someone, she didn't even have to be this close to someone on the train to Hogwarts, being smushed up against the Doctor who was laughing about the situation was worse.

The drive was a bit longer than they had thought it would be, traffic had appeared the closer they had gotten to the city. John hadn't thought that she would be back in London for a second time that day. Some part of her liked to ignore the fact that she had lived in London for a few years while Sherlock had been building up a reputation. She moved and "accidentally" elbowed the Doctor. He stopped laughing after that and she gained a smile to her face. They parked outside of Stanbridge house and waited for a few minutes. Eventually, a soldier came up to them and handed a piece of paper to the Brigadier.

"Three and a half minutes, Doctor, and still no sign of Broton in the conference hall," The Brigadier informed the Doctor.

"Well," The Doctor started as he looked over the paper, "He was checked into the building, what's behind the conference hall?"

"Catering section and river terrace," The Brigadier stated as they all got out of the car.

"You and John search there," The Doctor stated, "Sarah and I will take the cellar."

"Right, come along Miss Watson," The Brigadier said.

John gained an amused expression to her face as they started to walk towards the building. With a single flash of her ring, they were both in the building and heading towards the catering section and river terrace. It was quieter out on the terrace than it had been in the conference hall. John looked over the railing of the terrace and frowned. She tensed when she felt someone appeared behind her and brought out her wand as something was pressed behind her back. It was wooden.

"Whoever you are, you have a sick sense of humor," A familiar voice stated.

John paused as tears pricked at her eyes and she turned to look at who was behind her. The person faltered as well as their bright blue eyes grew wide. John let out a low chuckle at something. Sometimes the universe was cruel without needing to be.

"I told ya you'd look better than me when you got older," She teased.

"Well, a different version of you did," Sherlock stated as he gave a soft sniff and put the wand in his hand away.

"And my version of you is a Squib," She admitted, "Always found my rune assignments fascinating."

"Runes are very useful," Sherlock defended, and her eyes lit up, "My version of you was killed on the front lines, but you are completely different from her. A fighter more than a healer."

"Yet, the personality is the same," She muttered as she looked at the older version of her friend, "Deduce, Sherlock, deduce what you can about me, I want to see if you're as good as you were in my universe."

"Small burn scars on the fingers tell of someone who works with dangerous materials, scars litter your skin but are always healed by Dittany which always leaves a scar but sometimes very faint," Sherlock began, "Sweater and jeans that don't look modern indicate that you are from a very different time, short hair still doesn't suit you, and you're in love."

"I'll give you all but the last two," She stated with an unamused expression.

"I know you better than you know yourself," He replied, "Even the second personality that sits beneath the surface of your mind, Armageddon is it?"

"Not a personality," She stated, "Armageddon isn't a second personality."

"Ah," He finally got it, "Your mother had it in this universe, but you don't seem to be as bloodthirsty as she was."

"Well, I'm not human anymore," She replied, "Not only that, but it conflicts with my actual personality."

"Bloodlines are a strange thing," He muttered before clearing his throat and speaking up, "Are you staying or are you going with your lover?"

"Not my lover," She defended with a slight blush, "But, I'm going to travel with a man called the Doctor."

"Doctor Who?" Sherlock asked with a slight look of confusion.

"Exactly," She grinned before apparating back to Tardis.

She stumbled outside of the police call box and entered it. The Tardis hummed in greeting and she smiled back as Clair De Lune started playing. She removed her bag from her shoulder and headed into the bowels of the Tardis and went into her room. She wanted to create some potions. She needed to restock on them.


	10. 10

Chapter 10

_Realization_

* * *

The Tardis was slower than the show made it seem. Traveling through the time vortex was time-consuming, well as far as Sarah was concerned. She was starting to find it hard to make time go faster by reading books or swimming. She was sad that John had seemingly disappeared into the Tardis. The taller woman's room was empty, yet the Doctor assured her that she was in the Tardis.

Sarah couldn't help but find some humor in how confident he was that she was on the ship. She had caught him in deep thought as he moved around the main console, pushing buttons to keep busy or even as he read his books. He was used to the time it took for the Tardis to travel -well sometimes the ship could go through time faster than others she supposed it was a bit like a car in that regard- and knew how to keep himself busy. Now it seemed like her new friend was able to do the same.

She was reading a book written by Charles Dickens, _A Christmas Carol_, and was slowly nodding off. It took her fighting off sleep for an hour before she finally yawned and decided to take a nap. She placed the book next to her on the sofa she had been sitting on and closed her eyes. She found it rather comfortable in the room to fall asleep as she did.

The Doctor was having a bit of a harder time as he moved around the console. His mind was racing with questions for the resident Witch. He pushed a button and knew that he didn't have anything else to do with the flight and landing for a while. He moved away from the console and walked through the bowels of the Tardis. He came across John's door and knocked on it. A low hoot was the reply and the door slowly swung open.

"Hello there," He greeted the owl, "Is John in here somewhere?"

It looked at him and he felt as though he was being judged. He had never been judged by an owl before, it was a new experience. It took off from its perch and landed above a medium-sized briefcase that looked as though it had seen better days. The owl motioned at it with its head and he moved towards it and opened the lid. He heard Vivaldi's Winter and investigated the case itself. There was a room inside of it.

He lowered himself into the case, as strange as he thought it was, and his foot hit a ladder. He moved down the ladder and once his feet hit a hardwood floor he looked around. It was like he had entered the Tardis for the first time. It was the main room that led to multiple hallways. Above each hallway entrance was a small plaque that told what was down each one. He listened for the music and went into the hallway where it was playing the loudest. He came across a door that was made from iron poles and glass. He could see in and saw John moving things on a shelf.

He quietly opened the door and heard her humming along with the music as she moved glass vials around. Her short hair was pulled back from her face as she worked. He noticed that she was wearing gloves of a strange fabric that looked like the skin of an Alligator but shimmered in the light. He moved further into the room, his shoes barely making any sound against the stone floor, and stopped at a counter and leaned against it.

She didn't even seem to notice he had entered the room. He wondered if she was that relaxed around him that he could just enter a room that she was in and she wouldn't care. She continued to move the vials around, and he saw that some of them were labeled. He didn't know when she would get any use from a hair growing potion, but at least she had it handy for when it was needed.

He made a slight face at that thought and went back to watching her. He could see the muscles in her back move due to the shirt she was wearing. He knew that he had never seen her wear a tank top before now. His eyes zeroed in on the scars that littered her shoulder and he had an answer as to why.

They stood out against her pale skin, something most of her scars didn't do and were angry, red, jagged scars. They looked like they had been rather deep when she first got the wounds. He tilted his head and frowned. It almost looked like she had gotten attacked by an angry dog and it had tried to rip her arm from her body. He reached out and gently touched her shoulder. She jumped in surprise and hit her head on the shelf. A single vial was knocked over and poured on her head. He quickly picked it up and watched as her hair began to grow longer.

"What is it and everyone hating my hair short?" She asked in slight disbelief as she hurried to an industrial sink and began to rinse her hair of the potion before it made her hair grow too long, "Does it really look that bad?"

"I don't have any knowledge of your hair being long so I wouldn't know," He answered.

She finished cleaning her hair and she grabbed a towel to dry it off. She sent him a look at that, and he knew that he had an answer to that. Yes, her hair looked far better longer. It wasn't as messy, and it helped to emphasize her high cheekbones. It clicked for him at that moment.

"Judging by your face it looks better longer," She muttered in slight annoyance as she tugged on a strand of newly long hair, "Now, what did you need, Doctor?"

"You've been missing for a few days and Sarah was beginning to worry," He replied.

"Ah, I didn't mean to do that to her," She gave a slight wince, "I suppose that your mind's been circulating a bunch of questions as well."

She knew him a bit too well for as short of a while that she's known him. He gave a slight nod at that and she gained an amused smile. She walked towards the door and motioned for him to follow. He did so and walked behind her as she headed back to the main room and went down another hallway. She stopped at a door that was identical to the one that led into the dungeon-esque room. It led to an ornate office that had pictures of nature hanging on the walls between large bookshelves.

"Welcome to my office," She informed him with a small grin, "Make yourself at home."

"Did you make all of this?" He asked as he sat down in a plush red armchair.

"Yeah, I had a Saturday off," She answered as she sat behind the desk and activated a rune on it that caused a chessboard to appear on it.

"It must not have taken you long," He stated as he looked at the pieces in front of him and went to make a move, only for the piece to swat at his hand.

"All day in fact," She grinned, "Good thing I didn't have any homework due the next day."

"What did your course work entail?" He asked as he studied the piece.

"Charms, Potions, Arithmancy, Astronomy, Divination, Transfiguration, Care of Magical creatures, Runes, and Defense against the Dark Arts," She answered, "Its Wizards Chess just tell them where to go."

"Pawn to A4," He stated, and the pawn walked to its new spot, "Was your favorite Runes?"

"Not really," She truthfully answered, "It was Charms, the teacher was one of my favorites, my family just deals in runes, we're rune masters so I had to learn the trade. Pawn to C5."

"How do you make other's feel your emotions?" That was what he was most curious about, "Pawn to B3."

"Pawn to H4," She muttered to her piece as she simply placed a hand on the top of his and pushed some of her emotions onto him, "It's a mind spell, I may not have learned the mind arts, but I did learn this one just to make things easier."

"Pawn to A5." He stated as he focused on the feeling of amusement, she was projecting onto him.

He'd rather feel these emotions, but he wanted to know what he needed to look out for. He gave her a look and he felt her unease about sharing such emotions. It was as if she didn't want him to experience what war felt like. It was sweet, but he needed to know what she had done to Kellman. She gave a soft sigh and released those emotions.

He stopped breathing for a few seconds and he knew that if he had been standing, he would be on the ground. The guilt, oh god, the guilt was overwhelming him. The pain was sharp, and his left shoulder was starting to burn as if he had been cut into multiple times. He wasn't prepared for the grief. It was fresh and lingering, something that would stay on the edge of her thoughts. She broke contact and he immediately stood up from the armchair. She wasn't looking at him but instead was staring at the chessboard in front of her.

He moved towards her and brought her into an awkward hug. She tensed up for a moment before he felt something gripping the back of his coat. He didn't even have to look at her to know that she had buried her face into his shoulder. She was crying, he knew that much from the shaking on her shoulders, and he knew that he was complete rubbish at comforting a crying woman. He wondered how she had perfected the art of silent crying, or why she felt the need to. Her grip on his coat tightened and he was brought out of such thoughts.

"I hope you never have to experience war, Doctor," She mumbled into his shoulder, "It's horrible."

He didn't have a response to that. How could he? She was telling him that she never wanted him to go through war. If that was how she felt, then he didn't fancy going through one. He tightened his hold on her and she slowly relaxed as all her grief was finally faced by her. She stopped moving and he looked down towards her, she had fallen asleep on him. Her cheeks were pink and had obvious tear tracks.

He sighed and placed an arm under her thighs. There was a sofa in the office and he'd rather be sitting than standing if she was going to sleep on him. He picked her up and was pleasantly surprised at how little she weighed. Now that he thought about it, it was a bit worrying. He hadn't seen her eat anything since she started traveling with him.

He placed her on the sofa and went to move away but her grip on his person didn't relax and he found himself sitting with her on his lap. She moved closer and put her ear against his chest. Her hair covered most of her face, but he could see the dark circles under her eyes. She had most likely skipped sleeping for several days, her mind too loud for her compared to how it had been. A human turned into something new, something that shared two hearts like a Time Lord, but not at the same time.

It fascinated him; it really did. It made him wonder what could affect her and what couldn't. He brought a hand up and gently ran a thumb against the scars on her shoulder and knew that bodily harm could affect her. The scars on her legs were faint, but the way they looked compared to the others told him that they were recent, maybe a few weeks to a month old if anything. She shifted against him and he felt her right arm wrap around him, and her left hand came up to rest on his chest.

He was finding himself in a predicament with the witch, who was only a few heads shorter than himself, she had to be six feet if he was going by the Imperial system that the North Americans used -he had to exclude Canada and Mexico from that grouping- and lighter than he had expected. He made a face at the fact that he cared about her wellbeing. She seemed like she'd be more responsible than this and would eat and sleep when she needed to. He put an arm around her without thinking about it and she mumbled something that he didn't quite catch.

"It's_ leviosa_ you Doughnut," She muttered.

He would like some context for that one. He looked down at the woman in his arms before tilting his head back until it bumped into the back of the sofa. He stared up at the ceiling and watched as light danced around it from a small prism that hung from the ceiling. It made such fun patterns, such as a flying broom and small balls that seemed to have a life of their own.

He thought back to his home back on his planet. It had been empty and lacking anything that could be seen as a decorative. His Granddaughter, Susan, was a much better decorator than he would ever be. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, it was times like this that he got a bit nostalgic. He would think back to his family and wondered where he had gone wrong with his actual children but had done so much right with Susan. He figured it was because he and the woman he had been married to, an arranged marriage that wasn't really filled with the love that he saw some human marriages filled with, had decided to use the loom. The curse on his people to not have children hadn't really stuck at that point and Susan was one of the last time lords to be born and not created by the loom.

Perhaps that is where he had gone wrong. A loveless marriage and the use of the loom. It sounded like the right cause. He let out a short puff of air at that thought and wondered if he could ever have the chance to do right by a child he created. Humans seemed to think he was rather wonderful, he too thought that as well sometimes, and would look to him for help when they needed it. They were like children sometimes, not understanding how physics worked or how species could survive on a planet that they deemed unhabitable. With those thoughts, he felt as though he could do better if he was given another chance to form a family.

"I can almost hear the gears turning in your head with how hard you think," A groggy voice stated, and he looked down at the witch in his arms.

She was giving him an amused look that barely offset the tired expression that seemed to be fixated on her face. He gave a smile at that and she turned her attention elsewhere. It was when he began to tug on her hair that she looked back at him. She raised a brow at him, and he motioned to where she was still gripping him.

"Ah, sorry," She apologized as she released him, "Sherlock has told me that I have a bad habit of grabbing onto people when I sleep."

"What does your cousin do?" He questioned.

"Well, he's a consulting detective in my world, and in this one, he's a politician," She replied, "He refused the Holmes ring and was removed from the inheritance of the home in this one, I had to sort through so many Daily Prophets to find that out."

"He's magical?" He asked her.

"In this world yes, in the other he was what the community refers to as a Squib, someone born to magical parents with no magic," She answered.

He found that interesting, that made him begin to wonder if people who came from mundane families that had magic were descended from Squibs. It was something that John had brought to the ministry and they had tested it. It had proven to be a true theory and quite a few older families had been brought back due to living descendants that came from the mundane side of the world. It had been an interesting time if she was telling the truth.

"Can aliens have magic?" He asked.

"I don't know," She shrugged, "Would you like to try?"

She grabbed her wand from the front pocket of her shorts and held it out to him. He accepted it and felt a bit silly holding onto a piece of wood. She was looking at him and seemed to be fighting her amusement. She would feel horrible if she laughed at him.

"Give it a wave, if you have magic it'll react just not in the way that you'd want it to," She informed him.

He did so, feeling a bit silly, and nothing happened. She seemed a bit crestfallen at that and he handed the wand over. It let out a small silver animal that ran around the room before disappearing. It had been a small dragon.

"I'm sorry," She stated as she got up and stretched slightly, "I was hoping that you did have magic, it would explain how you could still see me when under an illusion, no one is supposed to."

It began to click even further for him at those words. He stared at her as she frowned in thought as she moved towards one of the bookshelves. He couldn't say anything and wanted her to figure it out for herself. She was a smart woman; she could figure it out. He watched as slow realization began to show on her face. Her cheeks than began to turn a light pink and he saw the rest of her body following suit.

"Ah," She quietly muttered, "That's how."

"Your little experiment vaulted you through a hole in two universes to bring you here," He informed her, "I've known only a bit longer than you have."

She seemed nervous about that and he could almost feel it. He got up from the sofa and walked over to her. He stopped in front of her and looked her in the eyes. She seemed unsure of how to react to the information she had just gotten.

John knew that her little childhood crush on the Doctor couldn't have come back full swing like that. It had to be something else that was happening and now she knew what it was. Relationship: Unknown her arse. That little document just didn't want her to know anything she wasn't ready for. A magical bond was something she had expected between the two of them since her magic brought her to the Tardis and him, but a soul bond? That was something that should've been on the parchment at Gringotts. Then again, she was a different species and from another universe altogether, no wonder it didn't know what to put.

"Johana," The Doctor used her full name and she gave him her attention, "May I?"

"Yes," She said in a soft voice.

He grinned at her and bent down and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

Perhaps it might be the words of a woman who had never been kissed before, or someone who never really felt any romantic feelings towards someone until she met him, but it was extremely pleasant. It wasn't the fireworks that novels loved to gush about, but it was something that warmed her on the inside. It brought a smile to her face after they broke apart. She felt complete, not that she didn't feel incomplete in the first place but that was the feeling she had, and couldn't stop grinning at the Doctor.

"I see I've rendered you speechless," He stated in good humor.

She simply hid her face in his shoulder once again and he couldn't help but laugh at it this time as he placed a hand on the back of her head. It was such a change from how they had been earlier, it was quite refreshing. He knew that she was going to have trouble trying to place what they were now. She knew what they were, she just wasn't sure how to label it. Marriage is how his people would label, and that's how some of the older families in the magical community would label it as well.

"Can we do that again?" She asked in a tiny voice.

He grinned and noticed she was peeking up at him through her hair. He nodded and she smiled at him as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he wrapped his arms around her waist. It could be said that he found a new way to spend his time. It was fantastic in his opinion.

Sarah woke up from her nap three hours later and headed out to the main console room. John and the Doctor were in there and firing off questions to one another as they did different things. John seemed to be reading a manual of sorts and the Doctor was pressing buttons at the console. If she didn't know any better something had seriously shifted between the two. They seemed more at ease with one another than they did anyone else.

She didn't know that they had spent those three hours snogging. She would probably never know that's what they did. She just knew that something had happened, and it was something good. She'd rather the Doctor not make the resident witch upset. She had seen was John was able to do to doors, she'd like to see everyone in one piece.

She looked at her watch and frowned, just how long did it take for them to travel through time and space. The Doctor seemed to understand what she was doing and moved across the console to pull a lever. It seemed like the Tardis picked up speed after he pulled it. She had to wonder if he liked meandering at a slow pace. Which was odd for a man who lived life at ninety miles per hour compared to everyone else.


	11. 11

_It's my first week at university and the only classwork I must do is read, so I'm good to write now. That's why I've been uploading like mad, I've had a few strokes of productivity with this story and I really want to keep it going, the reviews I have gotten help with that and I really am thankful for every single one of them! I also realized that this fic is going to be super long, I might break it into two separate books classic who and new who I don't know yet, let's see how this pans out for the moment. Also, I changed this from T to M, I really like some of the freedom that writing a mature story gives me._

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Chapter 11

_Antimatter_

* * *

"How long have we been traveling?" Sarah asked, "You promised me we'd be back in London five minutes before leaving Loch Ness."

"Did I?" The Doctor asked in a distracted tone.

"Oh, you're trying to wriggle out of it," Sarah wiggled a finger at him.

"Wriggle out of what?" He questioned.

"Your promise," She answered.

John had watched that exchange over the edge of her book and slowly moved it to where she wouldn't have to watch. She didn't want to see her…lover...get hit by her friend. Though, she would admit that he probably deserved it with how he was acting. If he made a promise, then he needed to keep it. She sent him a look at that one.

"Listen, we're on the edge of a time-space vortex and you're talking in minutes," He told Sarah.

"What's gone wrong this time?" She asked with a slight sigh.

"Nothing, nothing at all," He answered with a slightly insulted tone, "What makes you think something's gone wrong?"

"Because you always get rude when you're trying to cover up a mistake," John informed him with a slightly apologetic expression on her face, "But judging by how your body language relaxed you seemed to have fixed it."

"I merely overshot our landing," He stated as he walked past her and gave her a slight wink, "It was easily rectified."

John had made a face knowing that it had happened when they had spent a couple hours together. She felt her cheeks grow warm and hid behind her book. It was a manual on the Tardis of all things. As she read it, she started to see that flying the Tardis was simple but landing it was hard. She wondered if that had anything to do with the fact that he never really seemed to land where he wanted to go. Well, except for the fact that he had gone and helped the Brigadier with the Zygons, Harry had decided to stay behind. She made a mental note to give Harry his objects from the wizarding world to him the next time they were in that time period. It wasn't as if she was going to leave the Doctor, and he wasn't going to send her away any time soon.

"Where are we?" Sarah questioned.

"We've come out of the time vortex at the wrong point is all," He answered, "A few years too late."

"How many?" Sarah asked him with a slight look of disbelief that was slowly morphing into a frown.

"Thirty thousand," He stated with a slight grin.

"Oh, so a few," John muttered to herself as she turned the page and continued to read.

A loud beeping started to sound from the console and Sarah looked at it. It was an obvious distress call; it was beeping in an order that was similar to morse code. A small SOS was being broadcasted to them and the Tardis was letting them know that's what it was. John lowered the Manual and put a piece of paper inside to mark her spot.

"A distress call," Sarah commented.

"Someone's in trouble," He muttered, and he got a look from John as she joined him at the console, he immediately grabbed her hand and she blushed and looked away from him.

"Where?" Sarah asked him.

"Who knows," He answered as he released John's hand with a small squeeze, "Stand by for emergency materialization."

Sarah and John moved to grab onto the console to stop themselves from falling on the floor as he pushed buttons and pulled levers. Sarah looked to John and did a double-take at the sudden long hair. She felt her brows raise at that and when John looked over at her she motioned towards her hair. John made a face of understanding and motioned towards the Doctor with a look that told she wasn't pleased with the new length of her hair. It was mainly because every time she lost someone, she had long hair. Without fail, she lost someone she cared about. Her dad was killed in the second war. She couldn't lose the Doctor, she just couldn't.

They landed and the Doctor opened a small compartment that held a viewing screen. Outside the Tardis was a lush jungle. A small drop of water slid down the screen and John immediately removed the cream-colored jumper she had put on after leaving her briefcase with the Doctor. If it was humid enough to create condensation on the Tardis viewing camera then it was going to be far too humid for a jumper. She had turned away from the Doctor as she fixed her hair back into a ponytail, she missed the look of surprise and slight horror that Sarah had sent her after seeing the scars that littered her skin. He didn't and knew why she covered them up, getting looks like those would be enough to hurt the self-esteem of anyone even the most self-assured.

He grabbed a small device and moved to exit the Tardis, his companion and lover right behind him. He felt giddy at having a title for the witch. He had been happy just to be friends. She stopped beside him and looked around at the jungle surrounding them. It was lush and green, and just as humid as she had thought it was. Sweat was already going down her face within seconds. She simply ignored it, just as Sarah was doing.

"Which way?" Sarah asked the Doctor as he looked at the device in his hand.

"This way," He answered.

They headed into the jungle. Leaves brushed against the tops of their heads and large tree roots almost tripped them as they headed further into the depths of the trees. The Doctor and John were holding hands- her body still reacted like a human, so her hands were a bit sweaty from the humidity- their fingers intertwined. Her hand was quite smaller than his, but they didn't care.

"You have no clue where we are," Sarah stated after a while.

"Oh, with any luck, we're near enough to reach wherever it is," The Doctor commented in a light tone.

"That is not what I meant," Sarah informed him as she walked over a particularly large root.

"Before whatever it was that made them transmit the call overwhelms them," He replied.

"That is if we aren't too late," John said and they both turned to her, "You were both thinking it, don't even try to deny it."

"What planet are we on?" Sarah asked as she changed the topic.

"Oh, it's a weak signal," He said, not even answering Sarah's question, "Allowing for the fact of interference from the time warp, could you move faster?"

Sarah watched as he received a swat to the arm and a look of disbelief from John. He didn't say anything, but she could've sworn that he grimaced. He knew that John was a bit upset that he was being rude. He had that bad habit of being horrible to others when something went wrong or made a mistake. He stopped in his tracks when the two women froze in place, their eyes wide and fingers stretched out. He placed his hands against John's cheeks and looked into her eyes. The pupil was dilated to the point where it was just a small dot in her iris. As quick as they went into the trance, they broke out of it.

"Ah Circe's left tit, it's like I'm made out of atoms again," John stated as she held a hand against her forehead with a grimace.

"What happened?" the Doctor asked them.

"I don't know, I just felt so odd, as though my mind left my body," Sarah replied.

"I just got hit by a frequency," John replied, "It was enough to leave me with a headache and make my teeth hurt, it was odd."

"Are you all right now?" He asked them.

"Yes," Sarah replied and they both turned to a still grimacing John.

"The headache will wear off after a while," She stated, "I will be fine."

The Doctor nodded at them and went to move. His foot hit something heavy and he bent down to pick it up. He had to brush some leaves away from it, but eventually, he revealed a metal handle. He picked that up and out from the floor of the jungle came an ax.

"What's that you've found?" Sarah asked.

"A hand tool of some kind," He replied as he weighed it, "A rather heavy one at that."

"So, the people who sent that signal must be humanoid," Sarah theorized, "Well, they have hands at least."

"Might be friendly this time," John added, "Knowing our track record most likely not."

She gained a strange expression on her face at that. They continued walking without adding more to those words. The signal was growing stronger and their pace picked up. They stumbled across a piece of land that was obviously man-made. The trees were cut down and it seemed to be set up like a graveyard of sorts with small stones as markers for the graves. There was a corpse on the ground that looked as though it had been there for quite a while.

"Looks like we're too late," Sarah said as John slipped her wand from her short pockets and knelt in front of the corpse casting diagnostic charms on it.

"Several months too late, by the look of him," The Doctor added.

"That's odd," John muttered, "This man died from complete organ failure, everything failed him all at once, I've never seen something like this before."

"It's rare, incredibly at that," The Doctor informed her as she stood up and placed her wand back into her pocket.

They meandered around the site before noticing a small building that stood out from the jungle. It was white with dark splotches of dirt on the walls that had been kicked up by heavy rainfall, so it was rather impossible to miss. They walked to it, though John had paused to study a bright red fern that had moved a bit when she walked past it. It was strange to see something out of the realm of fiction, but she supposed others could say the same of her. She shrugged slightly and joined the two in looking inside the small building.

"Anyone about?" The Doctor called into the darkness before turning towards the two girls, "Seems like no one about."

"Can't we get some lights?" Sarah asked as they moved into the dark.

"The power might've run down," John quietly said as she squinted into the dark before blushing in embarrassment and creating a ball of light to stay near the ceiling and light everything up, "Sorry, I'm a bit out of sorts still."

"Would the power running down account for a weak signal?" Sarah questioned.

"Yes, that could do it," The Doctor answered before making a sound as a thought came to him.

"What?" Sarah and John asked him.

"An automatic distress button, it all adds up," He stated, "It may have been running for months off a high capacity power cell dependent for sunlight on charging."

"Yes, but which star from what solar system is the question…" John stated as she slowly trailed off in thought.

The Doctor gave a fond smile at that as Sarah gained an amused look to her face. Sarah moved around the now lit up room and looked at the blank monitors and consoles where the buttons were out. John had paused in her thoughts as a frequency hit her. She thought she had passed the stage of feeling frequencies, but she was wrong. She focused on it and a shiver went down her spine. It felt wrong, like something bad was going to happen if she continued to focus on it. It was a very negative feeling and she didn't want to focus on it anymore.

"I wonder what happened," Sarah stated, and John chose to focus on the conversation.

"Hmm?" The Doctor hummed in thought as he looked around with a keen eye, "Well, this is clearly the base for a type of scientific expedition, possibly geological. Something went wrong and they sent out a distress signal."

"And died before help arrived," Sarah commented.

"One hell of a signal," John added as she looked towards the console, "A lost expedition, a little _Lost in Space_."

"What do we do?" Sarah asked.

"Let's head back to the Tardis and fetch my spectromixer, and I'll fix our position by that star," He answered, "Then I'll repair this power cell and try to make contact."

"Well, you can get on with that now, I'll get the spectromixer," Sarah told him, and she turned to John, "Make sure he doesn't get into trouble."

"Easier said than done sometimes," John chuckled, "Be safe out there, Doctor she needs the key to get in."

"Right," He muttered as he handed the key over to Sarah.

Sarah gave them a slight wave before walking out of the building. The Doctor turned towards John and she gave him a look before moving around the room. She was checking out the consoles with a slight frown and gently pressing some of the buttons. He watched as she pushed the buttons in a sequence that would activate a small homing signal if there had been any power to the consoles. He walked up behind her and she looked at him.

"Somethings bothering you," He commented.

"It's just a frequency I picked up," She stated, "I can still feel them, the Tardis has one that I'm constantly feeling so I got used to it, but this one didn't feel right…it's hard to explain."

He grabbed her hand and she gave him an uncertain look. He gave a short nod and she slowly let him feel the frequency as she felt it. It still sent a shiver down her spine even if it was a bit muted due to sharing it with the Doctor. He rubbed a thumb against the top of her hand, and she stopped focusing on the frequency. She will be the first to admit that it was nice to focus on the Doctor. He radiated such warmth.

"Let's continue looking around," He stated, "You might find something interesting, you never know."

"Right," She nodded.

He released her hand and they continued to look around. He heard mechanics working from the rear of the building and walked to a slightly ajar door. He pushed it open and found a body on the ground. This one was a bit fresher than the one outside. He realized that John and Sarah were in trouble if something was going around killing people.

"Doctor," He heard John call, slight warning in her voice.

He turned to go see what she was warning him about when the barrel of a gun was in his face. He gave a grin towards the owner of the gun and looked behind him. John had one against her head and was shooting the owner of the gun an annoyed look. He continued to grin, even though the sight made him rather cross.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't point a weapon at my wife's head," He stated and the gun pointed at John was lowered a bit, while her cheeks and body turned a brilliant pink.

A man with short dirty blonde hair and a tan uniform pushed his way into the room. He glanced at John before looking towards the Doctor. His blue eyes fixated on the corpse and his face turned pale. He ran a hand against his sparse scruff.

"Baldwin?" The man asked.

"He's dead," The Doctor replied.

"Yes, murdered," The man stated, "Just like the others."

"Stay where you are," The man holding the gun to John stated.

He was an older gentleman and was pulling his gun away from the younger woman. She shot him a grateful expression before looking towards the Doctor with concern. The guns were still pointed at him. He thought it was rather strange to see a couple on the planet. He narrowed his eyes at the obvious age gap between the two, it was starting to look wrong almost like a kidnapping.

"You're wrong," He heard her say and he looked to see her staring at him with a slightly amused smile, "I'm here willingly."

"How did you know that?" He asked her.

"It was written on your face," She replied, "He didn't kidnap me, and I defiantly don't have Stockholm syndrome, I could leave at any time."

"But you don't want to," He muttered, "It's rare to see that level of devotion nowadays."

She simply smiled at that before he walked away from her to report in. John watched the other officers that had walked in with the older gentleman. They were pushing the Doctor away from the body. She got a hold of him when they pushed him past her spot. His hands gently gripped her forearms as he stood up.

"Do you ever get tired of being pushed around?" She softly asked as he stood up straight.

"Very," He answered as he held onto her hand.

"You called me your wife, does that mean I get to call you Sweetie?" She asked him with a teasing grin.

"I'll call you that in response," He informed her, and she gave out a small chuckle at that and he informed her of something in a low tone, "I'd rather you call me Theta."

"Is that a nickname?" She asked him a low tone.

"It's part of my name, the rest is too long for casual conversation," He answered with a sly wink.

"Ah," She made a sound of understanding.

It was going to be an interesting thing to call him, but one look at her and she knew that he wanted to be called Doctor when around others. She could understand the need for that kind of privacy. She was starting to wonder why she got the feeling that the universe would be in danger if his name were to get out. She watched as the older gentleman came towards them again.

"Have you checked the transmitters down there?" A male voice asked over their communicators.

"Yes, but any signal would have been monitored by our receivers," The man replied.

"Perhaps my receivers are better than yours," The Doctor stated, and he was amused when an elbow made itself known in his side.

"Shut up!" One of the men growled at him, it was a dark-skinned man with, what John would call, a very glorious beard.

"My manners certainly are," The Doctor muttered.

"I would beg to differ, love," John quietly informed him with a slightly amused look on her face, "You and Sherlock seem to have the worst case of a lack of filter I have ever seen."

He gave a smirk at that and she shook her head in slight disbelief. They had talked over the older gentleman and had missed what had been going on. The two guards walked up and grabbed an arm from both of them. John was starting to find herself in the same boat as the Doctor. She was getting tired of being manhandled by people. She didn't like it as a child and she certainly didn't like it as an adult. As they were carted out of the building a man was waiting for them with a stern expression on his face.

"We'd only been working a few weeks when Lorenzo went," The Dirty blond stated as one of the men listened to him, "After that, Gura and then Summers, and for a while, it stopped, we thought that we were safe that whatever it was had decided to leave us in peace, but it wasn't to be."

"The killings always happened at night?" The older gentleman asked.

"Oh yes," The Dirty blonde answered with a curt nod, "The nights are the worst."

"Naturally, any force of alien infiltrators is going to operate under cover of darkness," The newcomer stated, "A full and immediate confession would save you great discomfort."

"Discomfort?" The Doctor asked with a slight frown, "You mean you're going to torture us."

"Interrogate you, and nobody withstands Morestran interrogation for very long," The man replied, "Put them with the other prisoner."

The two were dragged through the jungle all the way to the site of a ship. John didn't even struggle as they were forced up a ramp and into the metal innards of the ship. It was as futuristic as she thought it would be. She wondered if they were in the same age as Space Station Nerva, it looked like it came from the same factory at least. There was more evidence to the fact that humans would eventually use kits to build things such as space stations and ships, it sounded about right.

"One of these days the Tardis will be nice and send us to a resort planet," John stated, "Though knowing our luck there'll be trouble."

"Could always enjoy the planet afterward," The Doctor said as they were pushed down a hallway, "There are several planets to go to for such things."

"Any come to mind?" She asked him with genuine curiosity.

"A planet named Midnight, it's completely made of diamond," He replied, "It has a few luxury resorts littered about the planet, you wouldn't be able to go outside due to the Xtonic rays, they vaporize you within a nanosecond."

"Sounds lovely," She stated before looking at the two men escorting them to the prison, "I don't think our jailers agree with that sentiment."

The two men looked like they might be sick to their stomachs, perhaps it was a hard thing to digest, being vaporized before you even had a second to understand what was happening. She supposed it was like getting a silent killing curse to the back. Then again, no one really knew how the mind reacted after being hit. She wondered if one even had last thoughts. She didn't want to be the one to answer that. They were shoved into a room and the guards simply left them in there.

"Hello," Sarah's voice greeted them.

"Oh, hello Sarah," John greeted back, "They got you as well, did they have you at gunpoint as well?"

"Oh yes," Sarah nodded, "I'm not exactly thrilled with them at the moment."

"Want to get out of here?" John questioned.

"How do you propose that?" The Doctor asked butting into the conversation.

"Through the window," Sarah jutted a thumb behind her and pointed it at the window.

"They're magnetically locked," The Doctor countered.

"But the power is low," Sarah stated in a blunt tone.

The Doctor didn't say anything else but moved to the window and began to push against the glass. It was thick and heavy, but he made quick work of it. Soon he was helping the two girls out of the ship. John was the last one out and she shut the window behind her out of habit. They moved around the ship and watched as a sentry walked past them. They headed towards the jungle when the sounds of a gun firing caught their attention. A large ball of energy had bolted from the jungle and attacked the sentry. Sarah tensed up and stumbled a bit but was able to stay out of a trance this time. Something that was shared by John.

"Run," Sarah hissed.

They quickly moved through the jungle and hid amongst the trees. They went in far enough that the ball of energy couldn't follow them. Sarah was breathing heavily, and John had started to shake slightly while sweat went down her face. That ball of energy was a condensed form of those frequencies she had begun to feel. It was bad news, really bad news.

"I think it's gone," The Doctor stated as he turned to the two women, "Are you all right?"

"It's how I felt before, in the jungle," Sarah answered, "As though I was being drawn from my body."

"That ball of energy is like a highly condensed form of those frequencies I was picking up," John quietly said, "It actually feels worse than the frequencies."

"What a narrow escape," he muttered.

"Any idea what it was?" Sarah asked him.

"I'm not sure yet, but I've got a very unpleasant theory," He answered, "We need to find that sentry."

They nodded and started to trek back toward the ship. The body was just at the entry point to the jungle. John gave a quick diagnostic charm and frowned once again. All the organs had stopped in unison, complete organ failure in such a young man was extremely rare.

"It's the same, all the organs shut down at the exact same time," She stated.

"I think we've been missed," The Doctor stated as he saw some lights in the distance.

They headed back into the depths of the jungle, bark flying off some of the trees as they were shot at. John made a face as some of the bark landed on her. It wasn't every day that she got into a fight. It was every other day, she had to remember that being with the Doctor was like signing a form saying that she didn't mind the danger. She didn't he was worth it, a lot of work but worth it.

"It's so dark," Sarah muttered.

"Sorry but putting up any kind of light would give away our position," John apologized as she moved a low hanging branch out of her way.

"Fair enough," Sarah agreed.

"Shush," The Doctor shushed them as the sound of something crackling started coming towards them, "It's coming this way."

They all stayed quiet and crouched in some brush as the Lianas and seed pods swayed as the crackling energy went past them. Seed pods fell on the tops of their head, but they remained silent. As soon as the crackling got quieter, they stood up to watch its path. The trees seemed to have wilted away from the energy as it passed through their foliage.

"That was lucky," Sarah quietly commented.

"Fortunately, time is on our side," The Doctor said.

"Time?" Sarah questioned.

"Yes," The Doctor replied, "Night's candles are burned out and jocund day stands tiptoe on the misty mountain top or something like that."

"Night's candles are burnt out, and jocund day, stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops," John began to quote, "I must be gone and live, or stay and die. Yon light is not day-light, I know it, I, it is some meteor that the sun exhales, to be to thee this night a torch-bearer, and light thee on thy way to Mantua, therefore stay yet; thou need'st not to be gone."

"That's a posh way of saying that it's getting light," Sarah informed the two and got a grin from John.

"That's what Shakespeare meant," The Doctor replied.

"Doesn't it like daylight?" She asked.

"That is the question," He muttered as he began to walk away from them.

"John, which play was that?" Sarah asked.

"It's a small excerpt from _Romeo and Juliet,_ act three scene five," John replied, "I had to read that in my last year of primary before starting my magical education, did you know that _Macbeth's_ Boil and Trouble is an action potion, apparently it summons a demon."

"Have you ever tried it?" Sarah asked.

"When I was eleven, the professor smacked me outside the head with a rather thick book," John answered rubbing the back of her head with a slight wince, "Never attempted again, the man was a bit scary."

Sarah gave a soft chuckle at that as they followed behind the Doctor as he traversed the jungle. He had the longest legs out of the three of them and seemed to have the easiest time walking through the roots. John and Sarah struggled for a while before finding a groove that allowed them to efficiently walk over the roots and keep their fast pace. When one tripped the other was there to help steady them.

"Somethings heading this way," John commented as she felt a soft frequency coming towards them, "It's mechanical, possibly from those gents back at the ship."

"Take cover then," Sarah nodded as she got the gist.

They ducked behind more brush. Sarah was on the other side of the path. John and the Doctor were hiding in the same spot. He had covered her from sight, and she sent him a look at that. She didn't need protection, but a part of her was touched that he thought of protecting her from the small circular flying device that had moved overhead.

"A surveillance device," He murmured.

"That means they're trying to figure out where we went," John muttered as she felt his arms tighten around her waist, "Why do I get the feeling that the energy has no interest in us."

"What makes you say that?" He questioned.

"Not once did it go after us," She answered with a slight shrug, "It seems more interested in the expedition crew."

He had been thinking the same thing. He released her and stood up. She followed suit and Sarah walked over to them from the other side of the path. The short brunette was looking toward the last spot the disk had been. Her nose was slightly scrunched up in thought and she had a slight frown on her face.

"What was that, a fairy of the forest?" She asked the Doctor.

"Some sort of surveillance device, a drone I think," He replied.

"Oh, at least we know we can't get lost," Sarah stated in a light tone.

"No, I met him once, you know," He said and both women looked at him in slight confusion.

"Who?" Sarah and John asked in unison.

"Shakespeare, he was such a charming fellow," He answered, "Dreadful actor though."

"Perhaps that's why he took up writing," Sarah commented.

"Perhaps it was," He nodded in thought.

John had no idea how he had gotten so lost in his own thoughts that he was still on the topic of Shakespeare. She simply shook her head in slight amusement and gently grasped his hand as she caught up with his pace. He shifted his hand and intertwined their fingers. A small smile played upon her face at that. He was changing the entire dynamic between the two of them, and he was so quick about it. Before she knew it, they would be married, it was a strange thought to think. They came across a rock area surrounding a black pool. There was no surface tension. There was nothing to tell them that there was anything beneath the surface.

"Oh, this is disconcerting," John mumbled, and the Doctor felt her grip on his hand tighten.

He stooped down and picked up a stone before tossing it into the pool. Nothing happened with the surface. No splash and no ripples. It made him know that it was where he needed to be to figure out what was going on. It was enough action for John to figure out something. At least it made sense at what was creating the frequency.

"Nothing could live in that," He heard John say, "Well, nothing corporeal at least."

"Oh no," Sarah hissed as she looked above them the drone from earlier hovered above them, "I believe we've just been found."

"Never mind about that, look down there what do you see?" He asked her.

"A pool," Sarah replied as she moved closer to it and peered into the dark water.

"You don't have a reflection," John commented as she moved closer as well, "This has to be it."

"Raise your hands over your heads!" A voice commanded and they did so, "Search him."

Men came towards them and the Doctor was searched by one of them. His pockets were being searched and he had a slightly annoyed expression on his face. He had some sensitive objects in there, one of them was pulled out. The yo-yo was looked at by one of the men with an expression of confusion.

"I can empty my own pockets, thank you," He informed the men as he attempted to move back a bit.

"Put your hands over your heads," The man commanded again, it was the dark-skinned man who was shooting the Doctor an annoyed look.

"I've got nothing up my sleeves if that's what you were thinking," The Doctor stated in an amused tone.

"Search all of them," The man ordered, and John began to nervously sweat as one of the guards grabbed her left arm and roughly pulled it behind her back so he could begin to go through her pockets.

"Watch where you put those hands before you lose them," She growled at him as he decided to cop a feel.

"Cute," The man muttered as he moved towards her front pockets.

He got an elbow to the groin as his hands moved somewhere, they really shouldn't have been. One of the guards that had been watching the entire group sighed but didn't fire at her. At that point, it had been self-defense and he wasn't going to do anything about that, she had every right to do that. He noticed that her husband had a furious look on his face, but pride had quickly replaced it when she defended herself. His commander had stepped forward to search the other woman's pocket but had slipped on one of the rocks and fell into the black pool.

"No one moves towards it!" John ordered and several of the men stepped back at the tone.

"Armageddon's out," The Doctor muttered before speaking up, "Didn't you learn anything? You're tampering with the balance of nature on this planet in ways you don't understand, it may already be too late."

He was ignored and they were forced back to the ship. John gained an annoyed expression on her face, but it softened slightly when the guards allowed her to hold the Doctor's hand. He had taken to playing with her fingers as he thought. He usually pressed buttons and moved levers when he thought, it was a habit of his to have his hands busy when contemplating something. He had her left hand, so he found some humor in teasing her by messing with her ring finger, watching her turn a light pink out of the corner of his eye had been slightly entertaining. They were only parted when they had to go through quarantine. They were each scanned and nothing was revealed, no wand and no screwdriver.

"Bring the prisoners forward," The older gentleman called.

"Prisoners?" The Doctor questioned, "We're here to help, we're not prisoners."

"You are prisoners," A man with shaggy brown hair bluntly informed them, "And you are charged with diverse acts of war against the subjects of Morestra."

"Not guilty," The Doctor stated.

"This is ridiculous," Sarah muttered.

"I love the fact that you have no evidence besides happenstance," John stated, "Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty."

"Silence," The older gentleman ordered as the younger man glared at the group.

"Do you have any idea of what you're up against on this planet?" The Doctor questioned them.

"You will not respond to questions with counter-questions" The younger man informed them.

"If you won't allow us," He was cut off by a slight pressure on his hand and he looked towards John who gave him a shake of her head.

"You will have a chance to speak, Doctor," The older gentleman stated, he was going to be harsher towards the man but something about the way he looked at his wife stopped him.

"This interrogation will be conducted in an orderly manner," The young man informed them, "Failure to comply with result in your immediate execution."

The Doctor looked ready to argue, but a look from Sarah and a squeeze to his hand made him stay quiet. He would rather not kill one of his best friends and his lover. They were far too precious to him for him to take that sort of gamble that could put them in danger. He would never forgive himself. They were taken to a room that had a console set up right in front of a large screen.

"Yesterday, you were found with the body of one of our scientists, and last night one of our guards died and you were seen kneeling over him," The young man stated as the dirty blonde man walked in, "Can you explain this?"

"We had nothing to do with those deaths," The Doctor defended, "They were brought about by your intrusion, listen, now listen to me please, here on Zeta Minor is the boundary between existence as you know it and the other universe, which you just don't understand."

"Other universe?" The older gentleman asked in genuine curiosity.

"Yes, from the beginning of time, it has existed side by side with the known universe," The Doctor explained, "You call it nothing, a word to cover ignorance, then centuries ago scientists invented another word for it, Antimatter, they called it."

"Nonsense," The young man stated as the dirty blonde eyed the group with a blank expression, "It's just a clever deception to cover their real motives."

"I don't think so," The older gentleman stated, "Let him finish."

"Any you, by coming here, have crossed the boundary into that other universe to plunder it," The Doctor stated, "And that's an extremely dangerous thing to do."

"Salamar," The dirty blonde started getting the attention of the young brunette male, "My mineral samples are aboard, and it is getting dark, prepare for the return journey."

"Mineral samples?" The Doctor questioned, "You can't take any part of this planet with you."

"That was the purpose of my expedition," The blonde argued.

"Get them out of here," Salamar ordered, "I'll deal with them later, Sorenson we'll make sure the samples don't move."

"Sorenson, if you don't listen to me, you'll never leave this planet," The Doctor stated as the three were being dragged away.

They were dragged all the way back to the quarantine area. John rubbed her shoulder as it throbbed a little in pain. The rough treatment she had gone through earlier was enough to cause old pains to come back. She caught the frequency again and her magic responded in kind. The Doctor and Sarah jumped in surprise when a loud crack went through the air and John vanished. The Doctor mentally cursed at that and ran a hand through his mop of hair.

"Well, there goes the idea of getting into the Tardis and disappearing," Sarah stated, "Where did she go?"

"Wherever it is, she wasn't willing," He stated with a frown as he went towards one of the canisters and opened it.

"Doctor," Sarah hissed at him before noting his expression, "What is it?"

"Do you remember the rocks around the pool?" He asked.

"Yes, they were a brownish color," She nodded.

"This is the concentrated form," He informed her as he removed a tin from his coat and took the lid off, and used the lid to take a few of the concentrated rocks out, "This is what took John off the ship, she's back at the pool."

"It's changing color," Sarah commented as it shifted through the colors green, red, and gold, "Is it letting out a frequency?"

"It's harder for a human to feel it, but John was in an atomic state at one point," He answered, "She's more sensitive to it."

John found herself lying on the ground next to the pool. She let out a groan as her head started to throb in pain. That had been forced apparition and quite annoying really. All she could feel was the frequency around her, it was suffocating.

"I am not your enemy," She hissed, "Don't make me your enemy."

The frequency backed off and she let out a sigh of relief. Her hearts had slowed down a bit and the pain was beginning to recede. She stayed on the ground, so the frequency wouldn't start up again. She barely reacted when footsteps started to come close to her. The sound of rustling clothes let her know that someone had knelt next to her. She blinked when a thumb gently caressed her cheek.

"John, there you are, love," A voice whispered.

"Hi, Theta," She mumbled in response, "Remind me not to apparate for a while."

He gave a low chuckle at that and gave her hand a gentle squeeze before standing up. He noticed that she was going to be on the ground for a while. Those frequencies had disoriented her more than she realized. She did seem relieved to see him, he felt touched at that.

"Are you going to do something that I'll hate?" He heard her quietly question as he watched the energy creature rise from the pool, "If you are, I'm going to hit you."

The ball of energy moved towards him and it knocked him off balance. John let out a sound of distress when he went over the edge. She was finding it difficult to move but somehow dragged herself to the edge to wait for him to come back. He had to come back, he needed to prove her wrong that having long hair didn't kill off those she loved.

"Come on, Theta," She murmured, "Don't you dare leave me now."

She slowly pushed herself up. Her whole body was throbbing in slight pain and she was extremely dizzy. Her vision swam for a few seconds, but she fought against it and waited for any sign of the Doctor. She heard rushing footsteps and gave a nod towards Sarah as they both waited for him to return.

"So, Wife?" Sarah asked.

"He said it, not me," John replied with a slight grimace, her voice was hoarse, "Sorry, forcibly being apparated is extremely dangerous, it's been known to kill people."

Sarah grimaced at that. She almost lost both of her best friends in one go. A hand appeared over the edge and John was the first to move and caught the second one. Sarah moved forward and grabbed the first one. They both gave a tug and pulled the Doctor from the pool. John made a face as a toffee tin almost got crushed between her hand and his.

"John, Sarah, Vandervelt's equation of knowledge," He started, he sounded a bit out of sorts, "Quite wrong."

"Doctor," John grunted as he collapsed on them, she sighed and took her wand out, "We've got no choice, he needs medical help."

She gave a quick swish of her wand and he was lifted into the air. The two women raced back to the ship with the Doctor floating between them. It was easier for them to run closer to the trees than to accidentally ram the Doctor into one. He was still enough as it was, he didn't need a hit to the head to make things worse.

They were greeted by the Older Gentleman who John learned was named Vishinsky. He helped them to get the Doctor inside. He looked as though he had several questions for them. They didn't have the time for questions, John was more focused on getting the Doctor the medical attention he needed. She just hoped they weren't too late.


	12. 12

Chapter 12

_Antimatter Part Duex_

* * *

A man in a medical uniform was there to help pull the Doctor out of the air and onto a diagnostic bed. He plugged in the bed and handed a monitor over to Vishinsky who quickly placed it against the Doctor's head. He began to read what the readings were and let out a low curse. It wasn't looking good for the man.

"Electro-function is almost non-existent," Vishinsky informed the two women.

"But he's still alive," Sarah defended.

"Raise the simulation," John ordered in a no-nonsense tone.

"Raise it the intensity by twelve degrees," Vishinsky agreed.

"But that's way over the safety margins!" The man exclaimed.

"Do it!" Vishinsky ordered.

The man pressed a button and the Doctor twitched. John slipped her hand into his and she felt his fingers slowly flex around hers. She felt some relief at that, and her shoulders slumped as her body relaxed. She slipped from the Armageddon mindset and gave his hand a gentle squeeze before gently pulling away.

"He's moving and responding to touch," She stated, "Give him a couple minutes and he'll come around."

"Stand by for takeoff," Salamar's voice came through the overhead speakers, "Vishinsky to the command area."

"Stay with him," Vishinsky told the two women.

"Thank you, Vishinsky," John said in a soft smile, "For helping us."

He gave a curt nod at that before leaving the sickbay. Sarah had found a chair to sit in and let out a soft breath. Both women had been worried about the Doctor. John had been right he had gone and done something that she had hated. She had done something he hated, though she hadn't meant to, so she guessed they were even. She heard a low rumbling and looked towards the hallway that led to the command area. The engines had just started up and she narrowed her eyes in slight thought. She jumped when she saw movement from the corner of her eyes.

The Doctor had woke up and started to take off the monitor.

"What's the noise?" He asked in a groggy tone, John walked up to him with a slight frown.

"We're taking off," Sarah replied as the two helped him sit up.

"What?" He asked in surprise, "But the canisters, I promise."

"It's all right, they've been dumped," Sarah informed him, "Your promise as a Time Lord? Well, what happened?"

"It's difficult to explain," He muttered.

"What, you entered another universe and you communicated," John stated with a slightly amused expression on her face before it quickly fell as the lights flickered and an alarm went off, "Seems like your in trouble once again."

"Come on!" The Doctor told the two as he jumped out of the diagnostic bed and stumbled a little.

He quickly rushed through the sickbay door and the two girls ran after him. They moved through the ship and the lights flickered once again. The alarm was Mauve, the universal color for danger, and lit up the room every time the lights flickered. The Doctor entered the command area and all eyes turned to him.

"All the canisters were removed," Salamar said as he looked back towards Vishinsky.

"Except for this," The Doctor stated as he held up his tin, it was slightly dented from when John helped him out of the pool.

"What's that?" Salamar questioned.

"Antimatter," The Doctor replied, "How else do you think I survived that pool?"

"Is there enough there to hold us back?" Salamar questioned.

"Yes." He answered.

"You idiot, Morelli get that tin to the jettison hatch fast!" Salamar ordered and a slightly pudgy man walked forward and plucked the tin from the Doctor's hand before running off.

After a while, the ship began to go higher, but it wasn't as fast as it could be. John shared a look with the Doctor, and he gave her a slight nod. She slipped out of the room and began to search for some form of antimatter. It still put out a frequency that she could feel, it was just difficult to pinpoint it in the small form. If there were some in the ship it had to be in a canister, something that would block the frequencies.

She just hoped that she wouldn't be forced off the ship again by the Antimatter. She moved down a hallway and stopped when she felt something pass her. It was like the energy creature, but darker. Dangerous. She slipped her wand out of her pocket and readied herself to attack. She blinked when it ran away from her, it was like she scared it.

Could it be possible that the Doctor knew that it feared her? Knowing that man he most likely did. Her mind began to race as she attempted to figure out _why_. Why should it fear her? It wasn't like she could harm it. Her eyes widened as a sudden thought came to her. No, she could harm it, and she could easily decimate it if she wished to. Magic was white energy, but able to be corrupted. She felt for her magical core and felt it respond in kind by making the tip of her wand light up with gold light. She winced as the frequency let out a shrill sound. She almost covered her ears as she heard it.

It was screaming in fear.

She felt her body tense at that realization and lowered her wand. She took a step forward before taking one back. She stared at the ground with a slight frown on her face before putting her wand away. She continued walking through the hallways with a contemplative look on her face. She shook it off before standing up straight and heading to the left. She came across the Tardis and raised her brows.

"Mind letting me in, Sexy?" She asked the Tardis and the door swung open for her, "Thank you kindly."

She smiled as she walked into the innards and closed the door behind her. The Tardis was playing some heavy metal and she simply shrugged. It was interesting how much music a ship listened to. She heard the doors lock behind her and she blinked in confusion. She headed to her room to grab something. She paused as she walked in, Chariot was asleep on her perch and she needed to be quiet.

She smiled at the owl as she headed towards a chair that was near her briefcase. She had a jacket resting on the back of it, a small bombers jacket from the 1920s. She pulled it on and sighed in slight relief, her arms had gotten cold from the air in the spaceship. She placed her hands into the pockets and looked around for a few minutes. She was just enjoying the light feeling she got when she was in the Tardis, it was something that reminded her of being around the Doctor or at Hogwarts. That last one made her feel sad. Too many sad memories were attached to her school.

She noticed that some fabric was sitting in a corner and she walked up to it. She felt it and made an impressed face. It was heavy wool and black. Well, she was going to have to make some new clothes. She smiled at that before heading out of her room and into the main console room. The door unlocked for her and she stepped out. She narrowed her eyes as the sounds of alarms hit her.

"Ah, knowing him he's in danger," She muttered as she got her wand out and did a point me spell, "Either that or he's causing chaos, hard to tell with that man."

She followed it and went into the sickbay, it was empty, but two metal pods seemed to be moving away from a small door. She hurried once she saw a familiar head of brown curly hair in one of the pods. She ran towards the pods and investigated them. The Doctor looked up at her and gave her a slight groggy grin as she made a face at him.

"How'd you get in trouble again?" She asked him before noticing who was in the second pod, "How'd you both get in trouble."

"I felt the thing from the planet," Sarah stated as John moved from the Doctor's pod to her's and helped the smaller woman out, "It's been killing the crew, I had the same feeling as before when the last attack happened."

"Who were you with?" John asked her as she turned to help the Doctor.

"Professor Sorenson," Sarah answered as she straightened her clothes.

"Sorenson, of course!" The Doctor exclaimed, "The sole survivor of the expedition."

"That would make him Antiman," Sarah added.

"Antiman?" John quietly mumbled to herself.

"Yes," The Doctor answered, "He's been infected with antimatter, his brain cells are being destroyed and he'll soon descend to the level of a brute."

"Anything that we can do?" John asked him.

"Sarah," The Doctor stated.

"Yes?" Sarah asked.

"Get to the command deck," The Doctor ordered her, "Tell them to shut down all the hatches, our only chance is to keep it isolated."

"Right, but what are you going to do?" Sarah asked him, but he didn't answer so she sent him a look, "Doctor."

"Do as I say," He told her in a stern, yet not unkind, way.

Sarah rushed off and the Doctor looked to John. He took note of the coat and realized that she had stumbled across the Tardis and his ship had let her in. He had yet to give her a key, something that she'd need if she were to visit London and see this universe's Sherlock. He couldn't keep her away from her cousin, even if it was a different version of him. He still needed to meet the cousin, he shook those thoughts from his head and focused on what he needed to.

"We need to see if Sorenson has anymore Antimatter," He told her.

He grasped onto her hand and they headed through the spaceship. She was easily able to keep up with him as he took sharp turns. He came to a stop outside of the door to Sorenson's quarters and she paused at his side. He released her hand and took out his sonic screwdriver. He pressed it against the lock and it slowly slid open. He cautiously entered the room and looked around.

There wasn't anyone in the room and he headed straight to the desk where a container was sitting. He opened it and narrowed his eyes in thought as he put the lid back on. The antimatter that had been inside earlier was still there. John had entered the room and was looking around with a curious expression on her face. She hadn't really been in many spaceships, well, she hadn't been in the living quarters before.

"Not a lot of room in here," She quietly commented.

"This isn't the time, love," The Doctor informed her, and she blinked at him in confusion as he continued to look around.

It took her a few seconds to figure out what he meant by that. She turned a bright red at that and shot him a look. She was about to say something when he picked up a container from the floor and sniffed it. He moved back to the container and opened it. He looked around for something and picked up a spoon.

John moved back when he put it inside the canister and the antimatter crystals were brought out. Her pulse began to quicken as her hearts started to rapidly beat in her chest there was a funny ringing in her ears that began to cause her head to pound. The crystals felt wrong, worse than usual. He poured some of the liquid from the canister on it. Once the red liquid dropped onto it, they glowed brightly until they turned a dull brown. He was resealing the canister when a sudden thump got his attention.

John was on the floor curled up in a ball, her hands covering her ears and eyes tightly shut. Sorenson was standing in the doorway and the Doctor slowly moved towards his lover. He was clutching onto the container and was ready to use it as a weapon. Sorenson tilted his head at the Doctor. The Doctor frowned in response.

"Keep away," The Doctor warned Sorenson.

"I require an explanation," Sorenson said as he winced when he began to feel some pain in his chest.

"You're ill, Professor Sorenson," The Doctor informed the man as John opened her eyes to glare at the dirty blonde.

"What do you mean, ill?" Sorenson questioned as he stayed in his place.

"You think you've discovered an oral vaccine to protect you against antiquark penetration, but you're wrong," The Doctor stated as John stopped moving and remained still.

"It worked," Sorenson defended as the Doctor tensed in both concern and slight agitation.

"For a time, but it set up a cycle of chemical change," The Doctor informed the man, one of his hands found its way into long strands of dark hair, "There's no way back, Sorenson, you've reached the point where your tissues are so monstrously hybridized that the next metabolic change could be the final one."

"No," Sorenson breathed out.

"There isn't much time," The Doctor continued a small hand finding his scarf and gripping it.

"No!" Sorenson exclaimed.

"You and I are scientists, Professor," The Doctor said in an understanding tone, "We buy our privilege to experiment at the cost of total responsibility."

He handed Sorenson the container and the blonde looked at it before walking from the room. The Doctor waited for a few seconds before kneeling next to John and moving his hand to her neck to feel for her pulse. He let out a relieved sigh, her hearts were working. He placed one of his hands behind her knees and the other around her shoulders before slowly picking her up bridal style.

A quick trip to the Tardis was enough to wake her up. She looked at him in a bleary way and he simply pecked her forehead before leaving her inside. John let out a soft sigh and rested her head against the walls of the Tardis. The white circles were a source of light and lit up the main console like it was in the center of a stage. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and only opened them when she felt the antimatter frequency enter the Tardis. She wasn't going to faint again; she would fight this time. She got her wand ready and was prepared to protect herself. A hand on her's stopped her from even preparing an attack. She looked up to see who the hand belonged to.

"John don't attack him," The Doctor told her with a serious look as he released her hand.

"Fine," She nodded as he went back to Sorenson and picked him up, "But if he ups that frequency as he did earlier, I'm stunning him."

He simply placed the down Sorenson on the ground before closing the Tardis doors. He walked up to John and pressed a kiss to her lips. She gained a slightly dazed expression after he broke the kiss. She then turned confused when he pulled her to her feet.

"Please, go into the innards of the Tardis," He said in a soft tone, "Stay away from the antimatter."

"No problem," She nodded.

She sent him a concerned look and he gave her a small smile before nodding his head towards the door that led to the innards. She started walking away and went to wait out the rest of this adventure in her room. She supposed that she could get started on making some new clothes. It was something that would keep her busy, so she didn't have to worry about the Doctor.

She entered her room and let out a sigh as the antimatter frequency cut off. Her head was pounding, and she decided against making her clothes. She kicked her shoes off and headed to the dresser to pull out a large nightshirt. It had come out of her briefcase. It was something she had gotten for Christmas one year; Sherlock had said he had grown tired of watching her nightgowns get thrown away when they became too small and she was too lazy to fix it with magic.

She changed and climbed into bed. The moment her head hit the pillow she was out. The Tardis turned the light off in the room and began to hum a soft tune to help rid herself of the antimatter frequency. The Tardis hadn't liked having antimatter inside her either. She slowly got worried as her hitchhiker started to mumble and writhe in her sleep.

A peaceful sleep had turned into a nightmare.

John's eyes were moving side to side under her lids at a rapid pace as she said something in her sleep. She was aware of what she was dreaming of. She knew it was a dream, or rather a nightmare. It was memories of the war mixed with something...she didn't really know what it was. She watched as someone was crushed under some falling debris when a giant had attacked one of the castle towers. It quickly changed as the face of a demon surrounded in fire appeared in its stead. She bolted up in bed and panted as sweat went down her face, her chest heaving from her panting.

Her door opened and she dropped from the bed and got ready to protect herself. As the Doctor peeked in, she relaxed. She rested her forehead against her mattress and let out a soft sigh of relief. He turned on the lights and walked further into her room. She got up and walked towards him. He didn't even get to say anything as she began to search him for any injuries. When she was satisfied that he was all right she gave him a hug from behind.

He gave a soft smile at that and placed his hands on top of hers. The door to her room began to close and the two paid it no mind. The Doctor had some time before he needed to be back at the main console room to take control of the flight through the time vortex. He moved so that they were facing each other, and he noticed the way John looked.

As much as he would love to stay with her for the night, she needed sleep. He began to push her back to the bed and she let out a sound of understanding. She got into the bed and went under the covers. He laid on top of them and placed his arms around her waist.

He stayed with her until she fell asleep once again, this time with happier dreams. He waited a few minutes before pressing a kiss to her head and slipping off the bed.

He had a ship to pilot.


	13. 13

Chapter 13

_Pyramid on Mars_

* * *

"Is this necessary, Sarah?" John asked as the two looked through the clothing in the Tardis's closet.

"Of course," Sarah nodded before pulling a dress from a rack, "What kind of trip would it be if we didn't dress up just once?"

"Point taken," John chuckled before a dress pelted her in the face, "Nice throw."

"Thank you," Sarah grinned as she looked at a yellow Victorian dress hanging in front of a tan trench coat.

John looked at the sky-blue dress in her hands and slowly headed towards a changing screen. She pulled off her jumper and slacks and pulled the dress on. It was made from silks and when she walked out from behind the screen, she saw that Sarah had changed as well. They had a very similar dress style on, and she sighed at the fact that her's was more of a French make compared to the English style that was Sarah's.

"Let's go see what the Doctor'll say," Sarah suggested before giving a slight grin, "Not that he'd really notice."

"He does get lost in his head," John agreed as they left the room.

It was a quiet walk that was filled with amused silence. Sarah messed with a piece of lace that she had found in the dress and smiled at the nervous energy that seemed to roll off her friend. John was messing with her house ring. She would stop and smooth the skirt of her dress down before going back to messing with the ring.

"Nervous?" Sarah teased.

"Just a little," John admitted with a slight smile, "I've never really worn a dress before, it was mainly robes."

"Not even for Christmas Dinner?" Sarah asked in surprise.

"Yes, my father allowed me to wear a jumper and nice pants for such things," John answered.

Sarah made a face of understanding as she opened the door to the main console room. The Doctor was standing there. He was still as a statue as he thought. It was so unlike him. He typically moved around the console and pressed buttons as he thought.

"Hey, Doctor," Sarah called, "Doctor, look what I've found."

"Hello, Vicky," The Doctor said, and Sarah paused for a few seconds with a slightly surprised look on her face.

"What?" She asked.

"Hmm?" He asked in response as he finally looked towards the two, "Where did you get that dress?"

"I just told you," She stated in an exasperated tone, "I found it back there in the wardrobe, why don't you like it?"

"Yes. Yes, I always did. Victoria wore it," He answered, "She traveled with me for a time."

"Well, as long as Albert didn't wear it," Sarah commented and she got a snort out of John as she slowly slipped into the room, "Oh, come on, Doctor, that's worth a smile surely? What's the matter? You should be glad to be going home."

"The Earth isn't my home, Sarah," He stated as he finally caught sight of John as she moved around the main console, "I'm a Time Lord."

"I know you're a Time Lord," Sarah informed him as she pulled the lace over her head and grinned at him.

"You don't understand the implications, I'm not a human being," He stated, "I walk in eternity."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked as John noticed that he was looking at her in sadness.

"It means I've lived for something like seven hundred and fifty years," he replied.

"Oh, you'll soon be middle-aged," She teased him as John moved towards him and gave his hand a gentle squeeze below the console.

"Yes!" The Doctor exclaimed, "It's about time I found something better to do than run around after the Brigadier."

"Oh, come on," She said in an amused tone, "If you're tired of being UNIT's scientific advisor, you can always resign."

The moment she said those last words the Tardis lights flickered off and they were knocked off their feet by the ship lurching to the right. John landed on her hands and knees as Sarah landed on top of her. She let out a grunt as the added weight made her fall to the ground. The main console exploded, and some sparks rained upwards before the lights came back on. John blinked as she felt something enter the Tardis, but it left as quickly as it appeared.

"What was that?" Sarah asked as she got up from John and the taller woman slowly followed with a wince.

"The relative continuum stabilizer failed," The Doctor replied as he moved around the console.

"No, not that, I mean the thing," Sarah stated.

"What thing?" The Doctor questioned in slight confusion.

"There was a terrible face just for a second, then it was gone," Sarah explained and as she looked at her face she began to frown, "You don't believe me, do you."

"There was a small frequency that entered the Tardis for a second," John added having her friends back, "It was gone as quick as it entered."

"Nothing can enter the Tardis," The Doctor informed them before he really thought about it, "Unless, it had mental projection beyond imagination, yet it might explain the stabilizer. Let's see at what end of the spectrum it came from."

He went to press a button, but Sarah placed a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. Whatever she had seen was enough to scare her. She knew better, it had felt like it was extremely dark, and malevolent. It was even able to get into the Tardis in a way that the Doctor hadn't expected.

"Doctor, don't," Sarah told him, "Whatever it was, I know that it was totally malevolent."

There was a bump as the Tardis landed and the Doctor looked at the console. John rubbed her palms together and winced at the slight burning sensation that came from the actions. He moved away from the console and pulled his scarf up onto his shoulder a bit more so it wouldn't get caught on the doors when he exited.

"We've landed," The Doctor informed them.

"Where?" Sarah asked him, "Where have we landed?"

The Doctor left the Tardis and Sarah followed him. John stayed still for a few seconds before pushing her wand up the sleeve of her dress and stretched. She headed out of the Tardis and looked around. They seemed to be in a storage room of sorts. She walked up to a sarcophagus and ran a hand across the wording on it. She muttered some of the protective spells that were written on it. Some of these spells were to keep the body from getting out, she frowned at that and reread them. No, she had read it correctly. It couldn't have been a mistake; the Ancient Egyptians were too particular about the burial rituals they would never have made a mistake.

"We've materialized at the correct point in space, but obviously not in time," The Doctor said getting her attention.

"A temporal reverse?" She asked him.

"Some vast impulse of energy has drawn the Tardis off course," He stated with a slight nod.

"You're saying this is UNIT Headquarters, but years before I knew it?" Sarah asked.

"More like years before it became UNIT Headquarters," John said with a slightly amused smile, "Unless, they had been keeping mummies in storage."

"No, they hadn't," He replied with a slight smile at that, "This must be the old priory, the UNIT house was built on the site."

"The old priory was burnt down, wasn't it?" Sarah asked.

"Something's very wrong," He said, not answering the question.

"Something's not right," John agreed as she frowned.

There was something in the back of her mind. It was like a soft whisper calling to her. She looked towards the door of the room and her frown deepened. The Doctor noticed how distracted she seemed, and he had to agree with both women. Something was extremely wrong in the priory.

"Something's going on contrary to the laws of the universe," He stated, "I must find out what."

He moved towards the door and tried to open it. Sarah scrunched her nose slightly when a musty smell hit her. This area seemed to have been out of use for quite some time if it had that smell to it. She supposed it was better than being in an area of high traffic. Fewer people to question where they came from and whatnot.

"Why bother to lock an internal door?" the Doctor muttered.

"Maybe this wing of the house isn't in use," Sarah suggested, "it smells musty enough."

"Some of that is mummy," John said with an amused grin as the Doctor brought something out of his coat.

"French picklock," He explained to them, "Never fails, it belonged to Marie Antionette, charming lady, lost her head the poor thing."

"Viva La France," John stated with a slight grimace as she felt for her head.

"Yes, well your people went through the witch trials," He muttered as the door began to move.

"You act like we didn't find a way around that," She chuckled quietly as they scattered, "Wendelin the weird had that name for a reason."

The Doctor peeked out from his spot and got a small wink from his lover. She waved her wand and stayed in his sight. It was when she walked past the man who had opened the door, did he realize what she did. She had wanted to explore the building undetected. Well, he wasn't going to stop her. You'd think after seven hundred years of telephone box travel, he'd meet someone that would follow the _don't wander off _rule. It was one of the few things left to surprise him.

John inwardly chuckled to herself as she quietly walked down one of the hallways. The Priory was simply gorgeous. She loved architecture like this where some thought had been put into what went where. It was something she believed was missing from the spaceships that she'd been on. She smiled at that thought and turned a corner.

She paused in her tracks when she thought she heard someone calling her name again. It was a very low-level frequency, and faint at that, but she could hear it. It bounced off the Huon particles and she let out a slight shiver. She hadn't felt that since she had been atomized. It piqued her curiosity. She began to slowly walk once again and took a turn into a rather large room where a large sarcophagus sat in the middle of it. She walked up to it and tilted her head.

The spells on this one were gibberish, and she wasn't joking, it was genuine gibberish with actual runes involved. Sutekh, that was the name on the sarcophagus. She bit her lip at that and thought back to where she had heard that name before. It had been on an episode of Doctor Who she knew that much, but it was also in one of the books she had read in the library. She ran a finger over the hieroglyphs that made up the name before pulling her hand back with a deep frown.

"Sutekh, Sutekh, where have I heard that name before?" She muttered as she tapped a finger against her chin and turned away from the sarcophagus.

She missed it when the face of the sarcophagus changed into a rainbow pattern and a hand reached out from it. She quickly looked behind her as it brushed against her shoulder. Her wand came out and she shot a stunner at the hand. That frequency she had felt early that had been calling her name started up once again. It slowly rose in sound and she winced slightly as she felt something tug at the tattered mental shields she still had.

Those had been tattered when she had gazed into the time vortex. A part of her really wished she had paid more attention to her lessons on mind magic. She could have already repaired them. She blinked once as her name continued to be called. Her eyes slowly dulled as she started to walk towards the sarcophagus. She walked into it and vanished from the room.

She found herself in a throne room, if she had been of the right mind, she would've noticed that everything was different compared to the episode not that she had ever seen it. She was looking straight ahead not paying any mind to what was around her. Her eyes were completely blank as a tall figure came into the room. The figure was wearing a mask and tilted their head at the sight of her. Their eyes glowed a brilliant green for a few seconds and John grimaced as her head hurt.

"Interesting, a universe traveler," The figure said, the voice distinctly masculine, as it moved further towards her, "And a witch at that."

A few tall mummies came towards them. They were strange-looking, vaguely human-like with large ribcages and long arms. They grabbed onto John's arms as her wand was slowly taken from her by the figure. They studied it for a few minutes before handing it back to her, she accepted it with a blank look and placed it back up her sleeve. They grasped her chin and tilted her head up to study her face.

"Take her to be placed into the ceremonial robes," The Figure commanded releasing her chin, "Her magic will be quite useful in breaking my ancient bonds."

The mummies began to lead her out of the throne room. They took her to a smaller room and stripped her of her clothes and placed a white robe on her. It was slightly see-through and the only decoration came from the hieroglyph of _Heka_ that was on the back. A circlet was placed on her head and a brilliant emerald was set against her forehead.

She was led back to the first room and forced to kneel on the ground and sit that way. Her expression was blank. The figure came back in and ran a hand through her hair as she brought out her wand and slowly began to work out charms. She had to do the charm work first before moving onto the runes. If she were to mess up on the charms, she could easily start over. Runes, not so much.

"Work faster, little witch," The figure commanded as their hands moved to her shoulders.

"Yes, master," She mumbled as she slowly began to pick up the pace.

"Master," A man's voice stated as an older gentleman walked up to him, "Someone is attempting to summon you."

"Then you shall go in my place and deal with the false servant," The figure replied as he removed his hand from John's shoulders, "I will keep an eye on the situation."

John paused in her charm and some light came back to her eyes as the figure stopped sending frequencies her way. She had trouble stopping herself from working on the charms and grimaced as she saw one being worked that dealt with weight. She heard a tutting sound behind her and she slowly looked to her side to see the figure. She would be shaking if she could.

"Little witch, you know better than to stop working," the Figure told her, "You shall set free the great Sutekh."

"I will…set free the great Sutekh," John agreed in a low monotone.

Sutekh grabbed onto her chin and his eyes glowed green. The emerald that rested on her forehead glowed in response and her eyes grew dim once again as she went back to focusing on her charms. She was a puppet, a shell of her former self, and she needed to set free Sutekh. A part of her was screaming at that thought since she knew that if he was set free then something bad would happen.

Time didn't seem to pass in the throne room. If she even noticed it at all. It slowly trudged by. It was one of the charms and runes that locked Sutekh away. Time manipulation was magic that she knew about, it had been the basis of her failed experiment, and could easily unravel it after looking through the time vortex. The laws of time and physics were her's to command, and Sutekh knew that.

His journey in controlling her mind allowed him to see the vital information he needed. He knew that she cared about the man and woman she traveled with. He knew that if she somehow broke free of his control, which was highly unlikely due to her tattered mind, he would use them against her. After all, she was far too fond of the man. Dare he say it, she loved him. Love was such a pitiful emotion, it made those that could reach greatness weak.

"You are far too sentimental, little witch," He informed her as he took a seat within a golden throne to watch her work.

Yes, things were changed. It could be said that it was the butterfly effect in motion. It also showed that one's world could be changed with any kind of action, such as the click of fingers. Or the appearance of a witch.

John continued to work on the charms and barley inclined her head to show that she had heard him. She was working as fast as she could, physically and magically. It wasn't enough for Sutekh and he clicked his tongue in annoyance as he upped his frequency to make her work faster. Her speed did indeed increase.

It came with a cost, as did everything that dealt with older magic such as this. Her skin grew paler and her breathing was a bit raspy. Her magic was draining itself to keep up with the demand, she would have to take a break so she wouldn't become totally useless. A small break for tea was enough to help her regain the energy and magic she had lost during the charms process.

The charms process ended and Sutekh clicked his fingers to call upon the mummies. They blundered into the throne room with a small tray in their hands. It had a cup of tea on the tray with a ham sandwich. It set it down in front of the tall woman and she slowly picked up the cup of tea with shaking hands.

She made quick work of her food and moved to the rune work. She had to stand up and move to the wall, so she knew what runes she was working with. It was quiet within the throne room. Sutekh was content to let his minions do the work of getting him free, he had been locked away for so long. For what was done to him he would destroy the earth in retaliation. It took one wrench in his plan for things to stop looking so optimistic.

"Stop them!" He yelled at his mummies.

They went to stop the man and the woman from doing more harm. He got up from his throne and went towards the witch who was still working on the runes. He grabbed a hold of her hair and yanked her head back, so she was looking at him. He relaxed his hold on her mind for a few minutes and she was suddenly looking at him in surprise and a deep-set hatred. Her magic was starting to cause static in the air at her fury and he smirked behind his mask. A slight snarl appeared on her face.

"Your lover and friend are causing such trouble," He informed her, "If you don't continue your work, I'll just have to take their heads off."

"Good luck with that," She informed him with a slight smirk, "Knowing those two, you aren't the worse thing they've ever encountered. You aren't even the worse thing, I've encountered."

He pulled her hair and she was forced back onto the ground. The emerald circlet fell from her head. She quickly got up and started firing spell after spell at him. He was forced on the offensive as she got…creative with her spells. A tickling spell caused him to convulse as he let out silent laughter and that's when she sent a cutting spell his way.

"You will pay for attacking the great Sutekh," He hissed at her as he increased his frequency.

She simply tilted her head and a smirk curled her lips.

"That won't work on me anymore," She informed him, her voice like a purr, "You locked _her_ away and now you will pay for that."

He hadn't seen anything in her mind about a second personality. Her mouth opened with a slightly crazed grin at him. He saw the abnormally long canines and he smirked behind his mask as she continued with the barrage of spells. He started to fire some back and he knew that he had found someone he needed to keep under his control.

The power she was exuding was almost palpable as the magic in the air created destruction around them. The gold in the room was bending under the pressure and the gems embedded in the walls cracked and glowed. He fired off a nasty spell that sent one into a deep sleep until he removed it. No loves first kiss, no potion to cure it, nothing except his will and his alone. She fell back and her eyes were wide open.

That was the only kink with that spell is that the eyes remained open.

He walked forward and closed her eyes; it had begun to creep _him_ out. His mummies came forward with rope and the young witch was restrained and attached to a wall until she could be of use again. He didn't trust her with the runes anymore. If she were to break free again, he'd rather she be in the pyramid and somewhere where he could easily dispose of her. Her hair acted as a curtain and one could barely see the glowing of the emerald, he had placed back on her.

He looked towards an intruder as they walked into his throne room. It was that Doctor that had been on the witch's mind. He was a bit bohemian in style and had a mop of curly hair that was hidden under a hat. Sutekh thought he was quite stupid to wear such a long scarf, that thing could get caught on anything, especially his hand. He was rather mad at the man. He started to remove the spell on the witch to the point where she was awake but unable to really move.

"Sutekh, last of the Osirans," The Doctor quietly said.

Sutekh didn't even give a response to the use of his real title. He simply used his magic to get into the Doctor's mind. It pinned the man against the wall, and he got a grunt out of him. John moved a bit at the sound and her hair parted enough that her face could be seen. That had caused him some surprise and he increased his spell to stop her from moving.

"No, you will not die yet, Doctor," Sutekh stated in a cold voice.

"Just destroy me," the Doctor stated as he looked around the destroyed throne room, "Nothing else now is left within your power."

"Oh, I will beg to differ," Sutekh informed the Doctor and he got a curious expression in return, "Lady Watson has such a lovely tattered mind, it was easy to learn about you and your Tardis."

The Doctor looked around and caught sight of John. A few expressions traveled across his face. Surprise, relief, and fury. He turned towards Sutekh and aimed that last one at the Osirian before he let it go and gained a blank expression. He needed to play everything right, and not get the three of them killed.

"Your interference almost condemned me to remain a prisoner in the Eye of Horus forever," Sutekh informed the Doctor, "At the same time you brought the witch with you, a key component to help free me, your death shall be quick for that, Time Lord."

The Doctor didn't like the fact that Sutekh had gleaned so much from his lovers' head. His eyes quickly flickered to the side as he checked on her. He was worried about the fact that she wasn't moving. He could see her skin and it was paler than usual, almost sickly. He looked back towards Sutekh and kept his face free of all expression. He couldn't worry about her at a time like this.

"I renounced the society of the Time Lords," He stated, "Now, I'm simply a traveler."

"With a lover that could barely pass as human if it wasn't for her form?" Sutekh stated in a low tone, "One that passed through the universe due to a simple mistake."

His eyes glowed green and the Doctor let out a sound of pain as his mental shields were torn at, small holes appearing in it. It was a harsh pain and he screwed his eyes shut as he tried to fight Sutekh off. He had some confidential information in his head, and he knew better than to let Sutekh get his hands on it.

"Yes, yes!" He exclaimed as he confirmed everything that Sutekh had said.

"Approach, Doctor," Sutekh ordered, the Doctor was released and he slowly shuffled closer, "I offer an alliance, Doctor, serve me truly and an empire can be yours."

"Serve you, Sutekh?" the Doctor asked with a frown, "Your name is abominated in every civilized world, whether that name be Set, Satan, Sodos-"

"Serve me, Doctor," Sutekh commanded as he worked his magic once again.

**"**Never," The Doctor grit out through the pain.

"You pit your puny will against mine?" Sutekh questioned, "You'd pit the life of your lover? Now kneel."

"No," The Doctor refused as he grits his teeth, "I would be more worried about what she'd do to you if you pushed her far enough."

"Silence and kneel before the might of Sutekh," Sutekh ordered and the Doctor was forced to his knees, "In my presence, you are an ant, a termite. Abase yourself, you groveling insect."

He was stopped by the sound of his servants attempting to contact him through the monitors. He had to do it the old fashion way and call through mind magic. As he communicated with the servant a smirk began to play on his face under the mask. He looked down at the Doctor and that smirk increased.

"It seems as though we found a human woman," Sutekh informed the Doctor, "Will you sacrifice this one's life as well? We have no use for her."

"No," The Doctor said as he hung his head in slight defeat.

"Perhaps you have a use after all," Sutekh murmured in thought, "Scarman will bring your Tardis to me, through the human female."

"He won't find that possible," The Doctor stated in a blunt tone.

"Scarman is my puppet," Sutekh stated, "My mind is in his."

"The controls of the Tardis are isomorphic," The Doctor explained, though a part of him had a feeling that John could probably control the Tardis if the occasion called for it.

"She answers to you alone," Sutekh stated, "Then I was wise to spare you, Doctor."

The Doctor's face went blank as Sutekh was able to get through his mind shield and exert his will over him. He allowed the taller man to stand up and watched as he crossed his arms over his chest. It was a sign of respect to him. Something that the Doctor had been truly lacking. He walked over to the dark-haired witch and released the spell on her. She started and he noted her attempting to fight his control before succumbing to it as well.

"You will go on ahead, you have far greater reach with your magic," He ordered her.

"Yes, Master," She mumbled as she disappeared from the room with a loud crack.

She found herself in a strange room. It was where her master had sent her, and she was to obey. If she didn't…a part of her knew that she would lose someone she cared about. A tear rolled down her face as she stared ahead with a blank expression. She didn't even react when something began to materialize behind her. A tall man with pale skin and red-rimmed eyes walked out of the newly materialized Tardis and looked around.

"Sutekh has no further need for the Time Lord," He stated as he walked out, "Destroy him, Lady Watson you are to follow me."

John walked behind him as they headed through a door, a scream echoing behind them. A couple mummies were behind them acting like guards, an escort almost. They came across the first chamber and Scarman looked around. John held out an arm as per the wishes of Sutekh and motioned towards the red energy that was swirling on the columns to their right.

"The relay switch is a power conductor terminal," She informed him in a monotone, "Look for a different way."

Scarman moved away from her arm and began to use his hands to send the impression of the wall to Sutekh. He bared the dark-haired witch no mind as she stood still and stared ahead with an even more blank expression than before. It was like she didn't even want to fight back anymore. She wasn't too familiar with the episode of Sutekh it was one of those she had never watched and hadn't heard of enough times to remember the plot. The Doctor couldn't be dead, could he?

If Vorus could live, then the Doctor could die. She didn't even want to think about that on any level. She would just follow orders like the good little soldier she was.

Scarman had found a panel hidden in the wall next to the door and pressed the button. They headed through and it closed behind them with a slight thud. It was a quiet walk all the way to the next chamber. There wasn't any talking or banter that could be found when walking with the Doctor or Sarah. It didn't bother the puppets of Sutekh, they had their orders and they would carry them out.

In the next room, Sutekh had John solve the puzzle. She stood in front of a large panel covered in eight rows of five squares, each with a black quadrilateral on it. It was with a blank stare as she looked towards the floor before counting five rows up and going all the way to the right. She pressed the square and the door slowly opened.

They walked through it and something strange happened.

She was stuck behind a cylinder made from Perspex. She brought a hand up and placed it against the strong glass and looked around with a blank expression. Sutekh realized that she would have no more use to him anymore and let out a curse as he released the witch from his grasps. He had lost an important key, but Scarman could still free him.

John fell to her knees as she looked down at her hands with a blank expression. It didn't take her long to start blaming herself for everything that happened. She was supposed to be the witch on the shoulder, but she had turned into such a hindrance. She tore off the damn circlet and contemplated burning it before thinking against it and sighing. She placed her face in her hands for a few seconds before sitting upright and closed her eyes.

If she were to finally die, then she would do so with the poise and dignity of a lady of two ancient and noble houses.

That was how the Doctor and Sarah stumbled across her. Sitting in a dignified manner with her eyes closed. The Doctor went up to it and Sarah held a hand up to her mouth. Her best friend had been left for dead by Sutekh, one quick explanation from the Doctor was enough for her to know that John hadn't been willing to follow Sutekh.

"John," The Doctor muttered, "I'm so sorry."

She opened her eyes and he watched as her expression turned to one of shock before a small smile of relief appeared on her face. Her wand made an appearance and a small ribbon appeared and spelled out _You're alive, then perhaps the Earth has a chance_. Her faith in him was concerning sometimes, but it did warm his hearts. He just needed to show her just how much if they lived through this.

"Intruders, you face the twin guardians of Horus," A voice announced gaining his and Sarah's attention, "One is programmed to deceive, the other points truly."

"Then one must always lie," Sarah muttered as she thought back to a puzzle, she had read out a long time ago.

"The two switches control your fate. Instant freedom or instant death. Before you choose, you can ask one guardian one question," The Voice continued as it told the rules of a game, "This is the riddle of the Osirians. Which is the guardian of life?"

"Which indeed," The Doctor muttered as he turned to Sarah, "They're both contra-programmed so that one will always give a false indication."

"Then would that make it easy?" Sarah asked him.

"It would," He answered as he turned to two mummies that stood before a pair of switches, "One question. If I were to ask your fellow guardian the question, which switch would he indicate?"

The Mummy he asked raised an arm towards the nearest button and the Doctor raised his brows. It had been so simple. He would have John out of the cylinder within a few seconds.

"I see," He stated, "So, if you're the true guardian, that must be the death switch, and if you're the automatic liar, you'd be trying to mislead me, so that still must be the death switch, therefore, this has to be the one we want."

He pressed the second button and the game vanished. He didn't have time to even say anything to John when he felt someone barrel into him and give him a hug. He looked down in obvious surprise as John released him and went to do the same to Sarah who hugged the woman back. There was an air of relief between the three.

"We need to hurry," John stated as she let Sarah go and started to move towards the next chamber, "Sutekh is almost free, that's the last chamber and the traps won't stop him forever."

They rushed through the hallway and came across the main center. John stared at a glowing red egg and covered her eyes slightly as Scarman gained an elated smile to his face. Sutekh had freed him just as the egg exploded. It was the worst thing to happen to him.

"Doctor, is there anything we can do to stop Sutekh?" Sarah asked as Scarman collapsed and turned into a pile of dust and all the doors of the room opened, even one that had the Tardis behind it.

"The time factor!" He exclaimed.

"Yes, that would do wonderfully!" John exclaimed over the loud wind in the center.

"What?" Sarah questioned the two.

"Come on, run!" He simply told the two.

They did as he said and rushed towards the Tardis. He sent a look towards John and she simply leaned against the main console as he and Sarah quickly gathered what he needed. He didn't want her near Sutekh, and she didn't want to chance the Osirian getting into her head again. The two ran out of the Tardis and she let out a soft sound of relief as she ran a hand through her long hair.

"A time factor should keep Sutekh from ever reaching the center room," John muttered, "He'll be destroyed along with the pyramid."

The Tardis hummed her agreement with that, and John let out a quiet yawn. She was tired of having someone rooting around her mind, she was also experiencing low magic. It felt like she had just gone through another war. Now that she thought about it, that sounded close to what had happened. War for the Earth against a false god.

She walked out of the main console room and slowly headed towards her's. Her bare feet were dragging slightly against the grating, and her eyes felt dry. She rubbed at them and slowly entered her room. Her expression became thoughtful and she wondered if this would be her last journey with the Doctor. She had caused a lot of trouble by being a stupid nosey Gryffindor.

Brash decision making that was borderline stupid and suicidal was quite normal from her house. If anyone were to expect anything else from her then she would simply tell them to get a clue. She walked over to the clothes she had been able to make, a dress shirt, nice slacks, and a pea coat and decided against wearing and settled for her nightshirt. Now, to get out of the blasted robe she had been forced into. She plucked at the thin material and frowned.

She heard the time vortex and quickly moved to close her door. She didn't really want anyone seeing her change. It was one of those things brought about by the war. Not something she wanted to think about now, but she guessed that her mind would never stop focusing on it.

The door to her room opened as she looked for any way to get the damn robe off-she looked like a sacrifice for Merlin's sake- and gave a quick glance to see who had come into her room. The Doctor stood there with a slightly nervous air about him, though his expression didn't betray that. He closed the door behind him as he walked in. She didn't say anything but simply raised a brow at him.

"What are your thoughts about marriage?" He asked her and she blinked at how blunt he was.

"To you, I'd be happy and flattered," She answered, "Anyone else and I'd-"

She didn't get to finish the rest of her sentence as he slammed his lips against hers. It was then that she realized that he had been testing the waters. A small exchanging of rings informed her that her marriage was a quiet one and a private one. No words had been exchanged only feelings. He pulled the robe over her head and she smiled at him.

Well, at least she didn't have to worry about finding a way to take the robe off anymore.


	14. 14

_I'm not dead, just really into Detroit Become Human. I'm still working on this; it'll be updated quite a bit while I try to write DBH fanfic that I like, I might do a Harry Potter Crossover. I always make sure to write most of the next chapter before dropping it for a while for the smallest of breaks. Good news for you guys, huh?_

* * *

Chapter 14

_An Android Invasion_

* * *

"It hurts to walk, love," John informed the Doctor as she pulled on a pinstripe dress shirt and tucked it into her black Edwardian skirt.

"I'm sorry," He quietly apologized as he gave the side of her neck a gentle peck before she buttoned the shirt all the way up, "I didn't realize I was your first."

She gave him a look at that before it vanished and became a small smile. He watched as she pulled on her black coat before he pulled out an old green ascot from his pocket and put it around her neck to keep the collar on her shirt from losing shape. She gave him a slightly surprised look as he quickly tied it into a knot, a cravat barrel knot of all things, before pulling his hands away to rest them on her hips. She sighed at him in amusement before pressing a kiss to his cheek her hands resting on his shoulders. He turned and made it on the lips. He was making it harder for her to want to leave the room. She would happily go for a second round, but they had important business to attend to.

"C'mon, Sarah is probably ready to get off the Tardis," John stated.

He removed his hands from her hips, and they started to head towards the main console, a very quiet conversation going between the newlyweds. They were talking about the _Harry Potter _books and what was real and what wasn't. He had been surprised to learn that quite a few of the "boys" had been able to get into the girl's tower. They were always welcomed with slightly open arms. John had never cared and the two who usually came up were her best friends. They were the ones to drag her to Hogsmeade every time there was a trip. She made a promise to tell him the coordinates so he could stop there for a visit. He was excited to see what a magical town could hold. He would take them during the winter so she could see the buildings topped with snow, as it was her favorite time to visit, besides Halloween.

"So, where are we going today?" John asked him with a small smile.

"Hopefully, the eighties," He murmured, and she chuckled quietly.

"It's a good thing that Sarah isn't prone to violence," John commented, "I'm genuinely surprised she hasn't hit you yet."

"The Tardis sometimes takes me where I need to be," He defended, "It's not always where I want to be."

She gave his shoulder a small pat. She knew what it was like to be pulled into something she didn't want. The short time she had taken her rightful place on her house seats during ministry meetings had been one of those times. It had been difficult to even get any sort of vote going, the older generation that was still on the seats didn't want to listen to a war veteran from the younger generation. They didn't want to listen to someone who wanted to bring them to the modern age, where women were treated with respect and mundane-borns could find high position jobs for the type of work that they were good at. The new minister helped that along and would gather support for a new set of laws that would make things equal for everyone. She never got to see how that ended.

"There you two are," Sarah commented as they walked into the main console, "Did you oversleep, John?"

"Yeah," John smiled while the Doctor gained a slightly knowing glint to his eyes, "It was a needed sleep though."

Sarah shook her head in amusement and slowly pulled on a white hat onto her head. John could admit that it went well with her pink outfit that looked more suited for a day playing tennis, or walking around the beach-it seemed a bit like a sailor's uniform was attached to the top of the shirt- it was perfect for a summer day. A bit different from her more Edwardian style of dress, though the shirt was more like a men's shirt from the Victorian age it carried her signature light blue pinstripes. Even the Doctor found a reason to change, his tan coat was changed to a grey tweed one with brown patches sewn onto the elbows. It was interesting to see the change, though he did keep his signature long scarf.

The Tardis landed with a gentle thump and let out a happy hum. John gained a small smile at that as the Doctor pushed a button and a small shade on the wall slid upwards to show a screen. Outside the Tardis seemed peaceful, it was oak trees and grass for miles. John had her fingers crossed that it would be something peaceful for once. She looked toward the Doctor and quickly crushed that hope before it even got the chance to settle, her husband seemed to attract trouble like he had a gravitational pull for it. She had no clue how he did it, and she really didn't want to. She'd have to explain how she always seemed to attract enemies, and that wasn't a conversation she wanted any time soon.

They walked towards the exit, and he pulled a small drink from his coat pocket. As they left the Tardis, he opened it and took a small sip from it. Sarah looked around with a dubious expression before turning to the taller man as John closed the door behind her. The witch gained a slightly amused smile to her face at the sight of the drink in her husband's hand.

"Has the Tardis brought us home or not?" Sarah asked him.

"Possibly," He replied, and he could almost feel the look that John was sending him.

"What do you mean, possibly," Sarah asked him with a slight frown.

"Well," He began, "The coordinates were set for your time, but the linear calculator, well."

"He's saying that we could be anytime and anywhere," John stated as he took another sip of his drink.

"Ginger pop?" He asked the two as he held out a second bottle to Sarah.

"Can't stand the stuff," Sarah turned him down, "Thanks all the same."

"I really must get the Tardis seen to," The Doctor said as John accepted the bottle of ginger pop and opened it with a slight frown, "She's way overdue for her five-hundred-year service."

"Well, at least we're on Earth," Sarah said with a slight grin as her mood improved, "I mean, just taste that air, I love that fresh smell just after a rain shower."

"Which is a bit weird," John stated as she toed the ground and looked at the slightly yellowed grass and dug the toes of her shoe into the dirt, "The entire ground is dry, can't have been any rain for more than a week."

The Doctor took out a small device from his pocket as Sarah squatted to examine the grass and ground. She gave a quiet click of her tongue and accepted the hand that was held out to her by a slightly smiling John. She couldn't help but wonder why the woman seemed so happy. She had even done something with her hair, it rested against the back of her neck in a low ponytail. John's head snapped up as the Doctor's device gave a cheerful beep and clicked at the sight of a small bruise on the side of her neck. Her mouth opened in an 'o' shape and she quickly closed it with a slight smile.

"There was an enormous release of energy," John stated as she looked around with a slight frown, "I thought we were on Earth."

"Well, unless someone's started exporting acorns," The Doctor stated with an amused expression on his face, "Oak trees don't grow anywhere else in the Galaxy."

"Except, in the forests of Cheam," John countered, and Sarah seemed surprised as the Doctor blinked at that.

"Fair point," He murmured before he looked at his device as he pushed a button to use the compass feature on it.

"Bet we're miles away from UNIT headquarters," Sarah commented, "So, what are we going to do?"

"Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo?" The Doctor asked as he pointed north, south, east, and west.

Sarah eyed him as he began to walk towards the direction of mo. They went west, and it was through some bramble. John eyed his back as he easily walked over the bramble. He seemed a bit…intoxicated was the word she'd use. She looked at him in slight confusion at that. It was like he was still celebrating, she just hoped that he wouldn't get too smashed during this little adventure.

"Watch the bramble," He told them.

Sarah let out a hiss as she stepped on it immediately after he warned them. John just walked through it as if she couldn't feel it. It didn't hurt as much as the grating on Skaro did. She looked up towards the sky and wrinkled her nose slightly. She could smell the rain that Sarah had been talking about, but with the dry ground, it was so strange. She had seen stranger things at Hogwarts, a boy walking around with his hair charmed into house colors still couldn't be topped by the singing bats and skeletons of her second year Halloween, and it would be difficult to cause her any kind of discomfort.

"I said to watch out," The Doctor called.

"What's so special about Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo?" Sarah asked John as they walked together.

"Oh, it was just him guessing which way to go," John answered with a slight frown, "It could have been fum, fo, fee, fi."

"He seems a bit out of sort," Sarah commented.

"If I remember correctly," John started as she frowned in thought and dug around her mind for some information from the time vortex, "Ginger is something that is alcoholic to Time Lords, or at least it reduces their ability to tolerate alcohol."

"You think he might be drunk?" Sarah asked.

"Buzzed at the very least," John stated with a slightly raised brow, "It does explain quite a bit why he seems off."

Sarah gave a slight snort at that and walked over a bramble that was in her way. She couldn't help but wonder how her friend seemed to walk through it without blinking. There wasn't any sign of discomfort. She sighed at the thought and they continued to walk.

It was quiet as they moved through the young oak trees. John felt some leaves fall into her hair, and she began to pull them out. The Doctor had finished his ginger pop and was staring down at the device in his hand. John moved past him and he watched as leaf after leaf was quickly plucked from her hair and released. His mind chose at that moment to play memory of just how her hair felt. He felt his neck burn and quickly turned his focus to the task at hand. He needed to find out what it was that released such an enormous amount of energy. Sarah paused and the entire group stopped to make sure she was okay.

"I thought I saw someone," Sarah explained.

A rustling sound echoed through the area and they turned to see four figures in white protective suits and helmets walking out of the trees ahead of them. Sarah eyed them with slight discomfort, something about them seemed off and she didn't like it. John got her wand ready and narrowed her eyes. The Doctor wasn't in any state of mind for a proper fight, he was sober enough for his thoughts to be normal, but she didn't doubt that even Sarah could overpower him in a fight. She could most likely distract him to take him down if she needed to.

"Let's hope they're not strangers here themselves," He stated as he raised a hand in greeting and grinned, "Hello there!"

"No, wait, Doctor," Sarah started as she and John pulled on his coat and arm to get his attention, "I don't like the look of them."

"What?" He asked her with a slight frown before turning back to the figures, "Please excuse me, could you be very kind and tell me where we are?"

"One of these days you are going to get killed," John groaned as she finally got prepared to fight back as the figures raised their arms and pointed at the group.

With a quick flick of her wrist, stone tablets jutted out of the ground and absorbed the bullets that headed their way. The Doctor let out a hum in thought. Sarah simply let out a relieved sigh. John rolled her head side to side as she cracked her neck. She darted out from behind the tablets and eventually they heard the gunfire cease and the stone tablets crumbled to dust to show John standing victorious over the figures a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Not human," She muttered as she picked up one of their arms, "I can't place it, feels heavy like metal but has a different consistency."

"My memory is getting terrible," The Doctor stated as he joined her in studying the body, "You know, three hundred years ago I'd have recognized this like a shot."

As soon as he said shot a bullet ricocheted off the body and they backed up in surprise. Sarah let out a sound of surprise as John and the Doctor quickly scrambled to their feet. It didn't take them long to start running through the small forest to get away from the backup. A bullet hit one of the trees and instead of wood splintering in all directions, a hole appeared. They didn't get a chance to question it as they continued to be fired at.

"Keep going!" The Doctor exclaimed.

John sent him a look at that and gave a quick wave of her wand towards the trees and the branches groaned as they twisted and bent to block the path. It appears some of the trees acted normally, compared to the one that had been shot at, at least. She filed that information away to think about for when they weren't in danger. She jumped over a fallen tree and continued running.

The group burst through the tree line and sprinted towards a cornfield. They entered the long stalks and slowly got separated from one another as they continued running. The backup hadn't followed them and when they finally reached the other side of the field they waited to regroup. The Doctor sighed in slight relief as he saw the two girls walking towards him, both seeming a bit exhausted due to the run they had just taken. They headed East and came across a small village with no people rushing about.

"Devesham?" Sarah questioned.

"It looks a bit more like East Hagbourne," John added with a slight frown, "Doctor, are we on Earth?"

"It's a possibility," He replied, and she raised her brows at that, "It's a bit quiet."

"Yes," Sarah nodded in agreement.

He moved up the road and looked at a stone cross. He looked around with a frown on his face as he attempted to find anyone in the streets or even in the town itself. He didn't see anyone and noticed that the houses were silent. It was a ghost town of all things, something he hadn't been expecting to land in.

"Anyone about?" He called out, "Anyone?"

"This is just bizarre," John muttered as she looked around with a slight frown, "I don't know of many ghost towns in England."

"Let's try the pub." The Doctor suggested as he moved towards it.

He opened the door and they peeked inside. It was empty with two full pint jugs on the bar and glasses of wine on some of the tables. It was like the patrons of the bar had just up and left the bar for no reason. John moved around the bar and made a slight face. It wasn't as inviting as the three broomsticks; the cheerful air was missing and the warmth that a cozy fire provided wasn't there either. She placed her hands on her hips as she continued to look around.

"Hello? Innkeeper?" The Doctor called as he looked around.

"Anyone about?" Sarah joined in.

"What's this pub called?" The Doctor asked.

"Fleur de Lys." John answered as she frowned at the lack of people.

"Marie Celeste, more like it." The Doctor muttered and he got a light chuckle out of her.

"A whole village of people can't just disappear," Sarah stated.

"Yet, somehow they did," John stated as her frown deepened, "This is strange…"

"Freshly minted money," The Doctor stated as he looked into the register, "All the same year…Sarah?"

"Hmm?" Sarah asked.

"What was that story you came here on?" He asked.

"There was a bit of a brouhaha at the Space Defense Station," Sarah answered, "It's about a mile from here."

"Is it?" He asked as he gave a small frown, "If we've landed in a prohibited area, then those people who shot at us were possibly guards."

"Typically, trespassers are prosecuted in England, not killed." John piped up.

"And they weren't dressed like guards," Sarah added.

"Protective clothing? Some kind of radioactivity?" He fired off, "Remember, I detected an energy source, the soldier who went over the cliff was possibly affected by it."

"The only thing I'm getting is low-level radiation," John informed them, "It's there, but barely like its background noise."

"If that's all you're sensing then why is the village empty?" Sarah asked her.

"I dunno, something made them evacuate in a hurry," John replied with a very small shrug.

"That's great," Sarah said, "And we've been walking around in the middle of it like a couple of 'narnas."

John was highly amused by that terminology. If there was danger in the area, then they had indeed been walking around in it. They were a bunch of idiots, but still healthy idiots. She turned her head and looked out the window. She blinked in confusion and walked out of the pub.

"What in the actual seven circles?" She muttered in confusion.

The whole village had been empty when they entered the pub, but suddenly it was bustling with people. She didn't even know where they had come from. There hadn't been a single person in the village, there wasn't even a sign that they had been there. She moved towards the pub fence as a few figures walked down from the church path, they were escorting a soldier.

"Wait a minute, he's dead." She softly muttered.

She sighed as a van came towards her and she panicked. She bit her lip and apparated to the Tardis. She let out a soft sound of annoyance before entering the blue box. She removed her coat and placed it on the railing before walking deeper into the ship. She blinked when everything shifted.

"Sexy? What's going on?" She asked when the ship took off.

She had to grab onto the wall to stop herself from falling over. She let out a sound of surprise and moved back into the main room. She stumbled slightly when the Tardis stopped. She listened to the Tardis hum and frowned.

"It'll take me a good hour or so to learn how to drive you." She stated as she grabbed the manual.

The Tardis made sure to make her lights brighter so the witch could read. John sat down on the floor and began to speed read. She was going back to her school days of memorizing information by reading it multiple times in quick succession. She had done that so she could get higher grades than Granger. It was something that came from wanting to make her father proud.

"I think I understand." She said after a while.

She kept the book open and used a wandless levitating spell to keep it eye level as she moved towards the controls. The Tardis seemed nervous and it wasn't helping her nerves. She pressed a green button and the Tardis started up. She pulled a lever and they took flight.

"Right, red button'll take us back to where we had been." She muttered as she pressed the button.

They landed and she scrambled around for the breaks. She found it and let out a low sigh of relief as she pulled the lever. She sat back for a few seconds to catch her breath. She wasn't going to drive the Tardis again until she had some direction by the Doctor, or it was an emergency. She ran a hand through her hair and bit her lip. She needed to find Sarah and the Doctor.

"Doctor?" A voice called, "John?"

"Sarah!" John exclaimed with a grin.

She ran forward and gave her friend a hug in relief. She was worried that she had lost them. Sarah gave the witch a tight squeeze before they parted.

"What's happening?" John questioned.

"Androids are invading Earth," Sarah answered.

"Oh, yeah that's a problem," John stated, "Right, lead the way and I'll try my best to take down anyone who comes after us."

Sarah gave a nod and they exited the Tardis. Sarah grabbed her key as John closed the door behind them. She drew her wand from her sleeve and held it at the ready. She narrowed her eyes in thought and slipped into the right mindset. She really needed to get back in shape. It wouldn't do for her to get taken down again.

"Oh! Doctor, there you are." Sarah stated as she saw the Doctor emerge from the woods.

That wasn't the Doctor. Sarah was surprised when John stepped in front of her with a frown. She held onto her wand with a tight grip and began to think of a way out of this mess. Sarah understood immediately what was going on and grabbed onto John's arm. John quickly apparated them out of the area.

Sarah had to take a minute to gather her bearings. That had been the most unpleasant way to travel and her stomach was ready to revolt against her. She started to take deep breaths and she felt a hand on her back slowly rubbing circles. John felt bad for having to do that, but it was the quickest way out.

"Where are we?" Sarah questioned.

"The Space Defense Center," John replied, "I think we can find the Doctor here."

She nodded at that and they began to move around the building. It was grey and drab, something that could be said of all military buildings. They heard gunfire and peeked around a corner to see the Doctor facing off with his double.

"Doctor, this way!" Sarah called out.

He looked at them and started to run. He had to dodge bullets the entire way until he reached the two. A piece of the wall broke off and they began to move out of the area. A loud screeched filled the area as speakers crackled to life.

"Attention, attention," A man's voice came from the speakers, "It has been confirmed the Doctor is attempting to sabotage our defense system, he is at large somewhere inside the complex. An extensive search will begin at once, he is armed and dangerous and all personnel has the authority to shoot on sight. That is all."

"So, the androids have taken over," Sarah stated.

"Looks like." The Doctor nodded.

"What about the real Harry and Colonel Faraday?" Sarah questioned.

"They must be up there in the rocket with Styggron." He answered as he looked towards the rocket.

John knew when she was. It was the_ android invasion_; she didn't want to admit that she had to think about it more. It wasn't until she heard the name Styggron. Androids taking over the earth because their own planet was becoming too radioactive. She winced; she was one of the best people to fight androids. Just shoot a spell at them and they go down with ease, hell she could probably just stand near them and use a small _Lumos_.

"We've got to do something," John stated.

"Our only chance is to stop the androids before they take over the complex," The Doctor stated before he began to walk off.

"Where are you going?" Sarah asked him.

"To the scanner room," He answered, "You two stay here."

"Want to go and help Harry?" John asked Sarah.

"Yes."

They shared a look and started to run towards the rocket. The Androids were ignoring them, the Doctor was their main priority now, and it made it easier for them to reach the blasted thing. They entered the rocket and were welcomed to a dimly lit area. They snuck around until they found who they were looking for.

"Harry?" Sarah asked and she turned to John.

"It's him." She quietly said.

They moved forward and started to untie Harry and another man that was with him. That had to be Faraday. He was a bit of a pudgy man with dark hair slicked back and a cleanly kept mustache. They freed them with ease and Harry looked at them in surprise. He did a double-take at the long hair that John had and wondered how long they'd been gone.

"You've got a very nasty twin," Sarah informed him.

"Twin?" He asked with a frown.

"Androids are trying to take over the Earth and used your likeness to trick Sarah and the Doctor," John stated, "I was stuck in the Tardis during that."

"Right, but what are these androids?" Faraday questioned.

"They're robots controlled by Styggron," Sarah answered.

"The enterprising Earth Girl!" A voice yelled and Sarah jumped and turned around to see Styggron, "No! Don't move, the sensors indicated an intruder, I hardly expected to find it was you…and a friend."

"May I?" John asked Sarah as she eyed the short alien.

"Be my guest." Sarah smiled.

John sent a stunner at him and blinked when he fell on the container he had been holding. She winced as whatever was inside of it began to eat at his flesh. It started to smell of rotten eggs in the room and they started to flee the room. Harry winced at the look of the body; he was quite glad that Styggron hadn't been able to use that against them. He looked towards their resident witch and watched as she kept an eye on the area around them. She shot a stunner ahead of them and hit a human man.

"This one of the men who caused this problem?" John asked Sarah.

Sarah gave a nod and they continued their way. They ran into the Doctor and John seemed to grow uncomfortable around him. She could tell that it wasn't him. Yet, he seemed identical to her husband. He gave her a wink and grin before rushing off.

"Don't bother chasing him," John informed Sarah, "It's not him, that was the android him."

"Too right," The Doctor's voice said from her right, "I reprogrammed him to be a decoy."

"You knew that we'd go to help Harry." She stated with a slight frown on her face.

She was amused yet a bit uncertain of his motives. He confused even her with what he was planning, but she knew that in the end it all evened out and came outright. He slipped his hand into her's and she intertwined their fingers. Judging by the look in his eyes she was going to be sore the next morning.

"Come on." The Doctor told them.

They exited the rocket and parted ways. Harry was smiling at the box of goodies he was given by John. She had made sure that he had received his magical treats, she wasn't about to let them go bad. As they walked back to the Tardis Sarah let out a long sigh.

"How could we ever have been fooled?" Sarah asked.

"How do you mean?" The Doctor asked.

"Well, this really is Earth," Sarah stated.

"Are you sure?"

He put a fern frond in his hatband and both women tried to figure out when he had gotten that. She wondered if he had grabbed that when they split up. He looked down at her and placed a different one in her hair. She turned a light pink when he smiled, and she quickly looked away. Damn this man and making her knees weak. He opened the Tardis doors and let her in first.

"After you." He turned to Sarah.

"Uh uh," Sarah declined, "I'm going home, and I'm going by taxi."

"Oh, I'll make you an offer," He bargained, "I'll take you home."

"How can I refuse?" Sarah grinned at him.

She walked in and went to go find somewhere to wait. It shouldn't take them too terribly wrong to make it to the right point in time and right area. The Doctor started up the Tardis and input the coordinates and date. She was starting to wonder where her friend had gone off to. Her best guess was that she was doing something important.


	15. 15

Anyone else see what Chibnall did to Doctor Who? Am I salty about it? _Insanely_. Am I going to include the retcon into my fics, no. Honestly, I always thought that the Master was the timeless child and that it gave credence to their anger…So, I will stop at 12. I was giving the new season a chance and…well…that's that I suppose. My disappointment aside, please enjoy the newest chapter and if you enjoyed the newest season then please enjoy it, just don't try pushing it onto me _please I am allowed to not like it just like y'all are allowed to like it_**. Anyone else who's upset about the last season, please don't give hate to the actors and actresses they are just doing their jobs.**

**I wrote this chapter before the series finale and now my motivation for any of my Doctor who fics are almost nonexistent, but I'll try to keep uploading it, as it helps me focus during finals. I wanted to be somewhat started with the next chapter before posting this one.**

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Chapter 15

_The Brain of Morbius_

* * *

It had been two weeks since the androids attempted their invasion on the Earth. Two weeks of phonebooth travel was enough to bring anyone to the brink of insanity. Yet, John felt as though she would rather that happen. She was currently watching as her stomach decided to empty itself into a toilet.

"Fuck…" She gave a low groan as she finished.

Her breath smelt horrible and she felt disgusted and, oddly enough, a bit bloated. She didn't even know what had brought about the sudden bout of sickness. She flushed the toilet and slowly got up to her feet. She brushed her teeth to get rid of the horrible smell. As she was doing that, a sudden thought came to her. She grabbed her wand and gave it a wave over her head.

Her body warmed up as she did a self-scan. She waited for the results and finished brushing her teeth. While she wiped her face clean, she got her answer. She was pregnant. With twins.

_Fuck_.

She now knew why protected sex was something one should practice. She began to fidget with her wedding band before letting out a soft sigh. She was going to have one hell of a time telling the Doctor. Her mind didn't want to focus on that at the moment and nudged her to recheck her results. She frowned as she looked at the results once again, it was like her pregnancy was going faster than normal. This here said she was a month and a half pregnant, but it had only been two weeks. As she pondered that she blinked when her mind went back to her previous problem. Oh, she was going to have to tell the Doctor.

_She was going to have to tell the Doctor_.

How in the seven circles was she supposed to bring that up? The door to their shared room-she blamed the Tardis for that one seeing as the ship simply combined their rooms to form one keeping his decorations and her furniture- opened and she looked out of the bathroom. Speak of the devil and he'll appear, at least that's how she thinks that particular saying goes. He noticed her slight discomfort and uncertainty.

"What wrong, love?" He asked her with a small frown.

"Impregnantwithtwins." She said very quickly.

He stared at her for a few seconds and she slowly grew uncomfortable. There was a burning pit in her stomach, and she felt her throat constrict. She blinked when she was lifted into the air by a grinning Doctor, his hands lifting her by the hips. She smiled in relief and put her hands on his shoulders. After a few seconds, he put her back on her feet and she gave him a happy smile.

"Oh, this is brilliant, absolutely brilliant." He said as he pressed his forehead against hers before gently kissing her.

They didn't get to speak further when the Tardis lurched. Arms wrapped around her waist to keep her steady and she winced slightly. That wasn't the normal way of parking for the Tardis. She looked up at the Doctor's face and noticed the dark expression on his features.

"Those idiots." He hissed as he slowly released her.

He left the room and she quickly changed into a pair of dark blue trousers and her quidditch jersey. She followed him and when they reached the main control room, she shared a look of surprise with Sarah. He exited the Tardis and the two women had no idea what had made him so furious.

"Come out you meddlesome, interfering idiots!" He shouted outside the Tardis and they could hear a clap of thunder answer him, "I know you're up there so come on out and show yourselves! Messing about with my Tardis, dragging us a thousand parsecs off course!"

"Have you gone mad?" Sarah asked him as the two women exited the Tardis and looked around the mountain filled landscape, "Who are you shouting at?"

"The Time Lords, who else?" The Doctor told her, "Now you see? Do you see? They haven't even got the common decency to come out and show their ears."

"They're probably afraid of getting them boxed, the way you're carrying on," Sarah informed him.

"They didn't even have to common courtesy to inform you that they were going to do something, I wouldn't blame him if he _did _box their ears," John stated, she was staring at her husband in surprise, it was rare for him to get this worked up about something.

"It's intolerable, and I won't stand for any more of it," The Doctor continued.

"Oh look, why can't it have just gone wrong again?" Sarah asked him.

"What?" He questioned with a frown.

"The Tardis." She replied and John winced at that.

"What?" He asked her, "Do you think I don't know the difference between an internal fault and an external influence?"

"Oh no," John muttered as his frown deepened at the insinuation that he couldn't properly pilot the Tardis.

"Oh, no, no, no," He continued on his rant, "Something is going on here, there's some dirty work they won't touch with their lily-white hands. Well, I won't do it, do you hear!"

Another clap of thunder was his reply. John held a hand to her forehead and frowned when she felt something tugging at the back of her mind. She didn't know where it was coming from, and she sighed quietly. She closed her eyes to center herself. There was something wrong with this planet, and she didn't like it. She was having trouble with frequencies on this planet, they were all over the place and there was a magnetic field that was creating the bulk of the frequencies. She couldn't help but feel as though the ones that tugged at the back of her mind were familiar. Yet, she had no recollection of this planet.

"There's something wrong here," John stated as she opened her eyes.

"Something ominous," Sarah agreed before turning to the Doctor, "Where are we?"

"I don't know, and I don't care." He answered.

Sarah turned to John and the witch gave a small nod. She stepped up to her husband and placed her hand on his forearm. He turned to look at her and she gave him a worried look. He looked like he was concerned for her and she felt touched. He brought a hand up and placed it over hers. He then shook his head in response to her quiet plea and she gave him a small pout.

"You're just going to sit here?" She asked him.

"I am," He answered as he pulled out his yo-yo from one of his pockets, "I'm going to sit here and practice my double loops."

"All right then," She sighed as she moved away from him, "I'll just have to adventure with Sarah."

"That could be dangerous," He muttered.

"Don't worry about me," She huffed as she put her hands on her hips, "We witches are very sturdy even when pregnant."

Sarah looked at her in surprise and her eyes traveled to John's stomach where that was the smallest of bumps forming. She didn't want her friend to get hurt, she didn't want the small life form that was growing in her to get hurt either. She wondered why she looked so far along, she guessed it was because the child was going to be a hybrid.

"Well, do you know what this is, John?" She asked the witch as she pointed towards a piece of plastic that stuck up from the ground.

"It's an ejection bubble," John replied as she looked at a deflated plastic bubble, "A space parachute."

Sarah blinked at that and the two women began to walk around the ruins to look around. There had to be a reason why the Time Lords sent the Doctor to this unknown planet. She went to jump down from one of the larger rocks and a pair of hands helped her down. John smiled. It fell when they saw the sea of wrecked spaceships. Each one was of a different make and model. They all shared one commons trait, they all had scorch marks around the areas of impact in the metal that had been the reason why they fell to the planet in the first place.

"There must be about a dozen wrecked spaceships out there," Sarah exclaimed, "It's like the Sargasso Sea!"

"It's amazing," John stated with wide eyes.

"Fancy." The Doctor said in the background and they both shook their heads at that.

"Any idea why they would all crash here?" Sarah asked John.

"War, simply due to the damage that's been done to them," John replied as she moved down the side of a mountain to get a better look, "It's so strange."

Sarah sighed at her curious nature and turned to look at the Doctor. He had paused in his actions of playing with his Yo-yo and was keeping an ear out. She smiled softly at that and started to go after John. They came across a body, it looked like a bipedal insect.

"Oh, poor fellow," John stated as she knelt next to it, "This lad looked like he left the ejection bubble and was attacked while he was wandering around in a daze…poor mutt."

"Mutt?" Sarah asked.

"Yes, it's a mutant insect species," John replied as she stood back up, "It's widely established in the Nebula of Cyclops, the Doctor might want to know this."

"What's so important about the Nebula?" Sarah asked as John started to walk back to the Doctor.

"He was born in these parts, about a couple of billion miles away." Was the reply.

John made it to the Doctor and quickly explained what they found. He looked contemplative and eventually his curiosity won over his anger. He jumped up to his feet and put the Yo-Yo away.

"Perhaps we should head to the one point of civilization," He stated as he looked towards the distance.

Lighting crashed against the dark sky and the group let out a collective shudder. Of all things, there was a castle looming in the distance. The castle was menacing, the stonework was cracked and crumbling apart, and the flags flying were all tattered. John put her arms around herself in a subconscious way to get rid of the uneasy feeling she suddenly got. Perhaps it was also a way to protect her children.

"And then there was rain." She muttered as a drop of water hit her head.

They made their way towards the castle, the wet rocks not helping them gain any traction. The Doctor had brought out a broken umbrella, but a single flick of John's wand and they were all impervious to the rain. It simply bounced off their shoulders, though the chill in the air was still prevalent and sunk into their bones. Nothing was warming them up. They came up to the castle, the Doctor grabbed onto a rope and tugged on it. A bell went off inside the castle and within minutes the door opened.

"Can you spare a glass of water?" He asked with a slight grin.

"May we come in?" Sarah asked as he got an elbow to the side from his slightly amused wife.

"My dear sir," A man stated as he appeared at the door, he looked like a mad scientist of all things, "My dear, dear, sir, you have no idea what a pleasure this is. It's been so long since we've had guests, Condo, take their coats."

Condo, who turned out to be a giant man with a slight hunch in his back, held out his hands to take their coats as they walked into the castle. None of them relinquished their coats, there was no need as they had been able to stay dry. They did want to get warm, though.

"Well, if we could just shelter for a while," Sarah said, "That would be fine."

"Great heavens," The man said, "You can't go walking on a night like this, I wouldn't dream of letting you proceed on step further. Condo, stir yourself, our guests are cold and tired…Let me take your hat, sir."

John watched as the Doctor's hat was removed from his head, freeing the curls that had been squished down. She smiled at the sight of his hair and he sent her a small wink. Sarah rolled her eyes at the two and simply shook her head. They forgot where they were for a few seconds.

"What a magnificent head." The man said and John looked at him.

"I am so glad that you mean his head, head," She stated with a blank expression.

"Love, please," The Doctor chided her in an amused tone.

"It did sound wrong," Sarah muttered in agreement with John.

"It's a superb head." The man continued as if he hadn't heard them talking amongst themselves and John sent her husband a look.

He simply shook his head in slight amusement.

"Well, I'm glad you like it," The Doctor stated, "I have had several, I used to have an old grey model before this, some people liked it."

"I did," Sarah said, slightly raising her brows.

"I wish others would show me a picture, I have no idea what he had looked like," John stated with a slight frown.

"I think I have one somewhere," Sarah informed her and she got a hopeful expression out of the taller woman.

"What?" The man asked them.

"I said, some people liked it, but I prefer this model," The Doctor replied.

There was a hidden meaning in his words and John's face turned a light red as the implication as to why he would like his newest regeneration hit her. She was becoming more curious as to what he had previously looked like. He was a pretty hefty man in this regeneration.

"Forgive me," The man said, "What a surly host you must think of me, please make yourselves at home, sit down and warm yourselves."

They all sat at a long table. The three-time travelers sat at the end together while their host sat away from them. The Doctor felt a foot nudge him and he responded in kind, it was something that he would rather do at a nice restaurant, but this worked for him. He brought his foot up higher on her leg and he felt her tense up in surprise. He noticed that her body language had changed from flirty to slightly distressed. She was starting to pale, and he could tell that she was feeling a little under the weather.

"Are you all right, miss?" Their host asked her.

"I-I'll be okay," John said with a slightly strained smile.

What a time to get morning sickness. Sarah sent her friend a concerned look and a genuine smile in response. It wasn't just morning sickness; the frequencies were starting to converge in this area. She put a hand on her stomach in a discreet manner and felt the need to make sure she stayed safe.

"Condo, pour the wine." Their host said.

"None for me, but thank you," John immediately declined.

"Oh, it's very kind of you," Sarah said as she was given a goblet of wine, "Thank you."

"Not at all, not at all," Their host stated with a smile that sent shivers down John's spine, "It's an honor to offer you whatever comforts my humble abode can provide, as you can see the amenities here are rather antiquated."

"I think it's gorgeous, reminds me of the school I went to," John smiled, it was a genuine compliment to the home of their host.

She couldn't help but still have a softness for Hogwarts, even though most of her memories of the school had been tainted by grief and anger. The Doctor had helped her focus on the more positive ones, even if he didn't realize it. Just by accepting her as she was. No wonder she loved him.

"Oh, I'm intrigued by such a school," Their host said, "It's very rare that anyone arrives here on Karn."

"Karn, is it?" The Doctor asked, "I should have known."

"You mean you arrived here without knowing?" Their host asked.

"Oh, well, we often go on a sort of mystery tour, don't we, Doctor?" Sarah asked and both women looked to see that he was staring over his shoulder at a bust, "Doctor?"

"You seem very keen on heads, Mister…er," The Doctor faltered and wondered if their gracious host had even introduced himself.

"Solon." Their host answered.

"Mister Solon." The Doctor nodded.

"Mehendri Solon," Solon said.

"It's very good." The Doctor grinned.

John shook her head at her husband's antics and went to lean against the table. She watched as he got up to get an even closer look at the bust. She didn't like the look at it. Green eyes narrowed as she focused on it. She could feel the frequencies coming from it. That caused her some curiosity, seeing as one couldn't resonate most types of stone with certain sonic devices. She watched as their gracious host stood up from the table and walked over to the bust.

"Modelling is one of my hobbies, but unfortunately this is not a very good example," Solon informed the Doctor as he grabbed a nearby cloth and tossed it over the bust.

"Oh no, I thought I recognized the face," The Doctor said with a frown on his face.

"No," Solon stated.

"No?" John piped up.

"He made a mistake," Solon informed her.

"That could be possible seeing as there are over a billion of biologicals in the universe," She sighed.

"Talking of heads, or their absence," The Doctor said as the two men sat back down at the table, "We found a headless body lower down the mountain."

"How distressing," Solon muttered.

"It was," John's tone was blank and emotionless as she stared at their host.

He was hiding something, and she could tell. She didn't know what he was hiding, but she had a feeling it was about that bust. She placed her elbow on the table and rested her head in her hand. Armageddon was trying to get out, she could feel that part of her scratching at the surface. She closed her eyes for a few seconds to ignore it. Armageddon was a parasite, a useful one but annoyingly attached to her. It seemed stronger in her than her mother.

"It must have been from one of those crashed spacecraft, no doubt," Solon stated.

"How many of those did we find, Sarah?" John asked her friend.

"Fifteen," Sarah replied as she gave their host a skeptical look.

"The wreckage of fifteen ships all in this one area," The Doctor stated.

"There's a belt of magnetic radiation," Solon stated.

"Magnetic radiation?" The Doctor looked towards John, who gave him a small nod.

"Oh, I don't know anything about it, but I believe that is the theory," Solon stated, "In fact, Karn has become quite notorious."

Condo came back with a tray. It held goblets with bowls and plates full of food. John didn't touch the food. She reached into one of her pockets and found a small flask. She was taking a page out of one of the best of the best back at the ministry, someone who had trained her to survive. She opened the top and took a small swig of the liquid. It was just some tea with honey. She knew better than to be drinking. At her husband's surprised expression she held it out to him. With a shrug of his shoulders, he took a swig. He seemed relieved by the drink and handed it back to her.

"Let's hope that Condo has brought something special," Their host said as she put her flask back into her pocket, "Thank you, Condo, but how many times have I told you the wine must be opened and allowed to breathe."

"Oh, please," The Doctor was trying to get him to stop, a grimace on his face.

"No, no, no," Solon waved the Doctor's plea away with a small shake of his hand, "Would you please do as you've been instructed?"

Condo rushed off with the wine and Sarah looked towards John. Her body language was tense, and she was looking around with a serious expression on her face. She joined her friend in being alert. There was something wrong about this place that she couldn't put a finger on.

"He's an excellent fellow, very devoted to me," Solon informed the, "But his intelligence is not the highest."

"He's an incomplete Golem," John informed him as she focused on a spiderweb in the corner of the room, "He's missing a part of himself, what happened to his arm?"

"Oh, many years ago I dragged him from the wreck of a Dravidian starship and his arm…" Solon answered, "Well, amputation was the only way to save his life...excuse me, you said Golem?"

"Yes, a man of clay," She replied, "He must be missing the remaining pieces he needs, might've been in his arm, poor chap."

Solon nodded at that and began to serve the food. John gave him a tight-lipped smile and the Doctor reached for her free hand under the table. It was clenched into a fist under the table. Within seconds of placing his on hers, he was able to unclench her fists and intertwined their fingers.

"One never really overcomes the nostalgia for one's planet of origin," Solon said as Condo returned with the wine, "Sometimes at night I look up at the sky and I wonder if I'll ever see the Earth again."

"I know the feeling," Sarah muttered as she side-eyed the Doctor.

"What made you settle on Karn?" The Doctor asked as he took a small sip of the wine.

"Well, nobody lives here," Solon replied, "Nobody bothers me, and I can get on with my work."

"What kind of work?" Sarah questioned.

"Microsurgical techniques into tissue transplant," The Doctor answered, "It was the title of the book you published."

"You know something of my history, Doctor?" Solon questioned.

"One of the foremost neurosurgeons of your time," The Doctor stated before turning towards Sarah, "Considerably after your time, Sarah."

"Your disappearance caused quite a stir," John said as she frowned at the churning in her stomach, "Some said that you joined a cult, please excuse me for a few seconds I need the restroom."

"Condo will show you to them," Solon told her.

She gave a small nod and the Doctor released her hand. She had a glint in her eyes that meant she was taking a small leave of them for a while. He had a feeling that being pregnant and surrounded by frequencies was taking its toll on her physically. He just hoped that she would take care of herself and not put herself into trouble. She had more than herself to think about now.

John sighed as she entered the bathroom. She closed the door and went over to the sink and turned on the faucet over the marble sink. She was starting to feel a bit sick. Her stomach was churning, and she placed a hand over the small bump that was her stomach.

"I don't like it either, calm down," She muttered.

The churning stopped and she kept her hand there for a few seconds. Next time they were in modern London she was going to stop at the wizarding hospital to get some idea of what to expect from her pregnancy. Not that it was going to be normal, she was an interdimensional being with magic and the Doctor was a Time Lord. If anything, she had a feeling that's why it was progressing so fast.

She gently rinsed her face with cool water and turned off the tap. She was about to leave when a cloud covered her. Her wand was in her hand faster than one could even think about saying Quidditch. Those that took her from the castle ended up being women in red cloaks. She tilted her head and eyed them. Green eyes hardened to a dark emerald and her hair fluffed up from the energy she was emitting.

"Calm, Armageddon," An old woman softly said, "We know you."

"I fear I just know your names," John stated, "The Sisterhood of Karn."

"Why are you here?" The old woman questioned.

"Traveling, with my husband and a friend," came the truthful reply, "We were forcefully stopped here."

The old woman let out a low hum in thought. John looked at all the women with a slight frown. The Sisterhood had stood against Morbius. So, then why were they interested in her? They knew of her, yet they shouldn't. Unless she was starting to make a name for herself in the universe. She was starting to dislike that, but she wouldn't leave her husband.

"Will we sacrifice her?" A younger woman asked.

"The more bloodthirsty you are, the more problems you'll have," John stated with a frown.

"We do not sacrifice the unborn," The old woman hissed at the younger sister, "Come, Armageddon."

The old woman turned on her heel and walked through a tunnel. John sent a dark look towards the younger woman before briskly following the cult leader. She kept her wand out and clenched it in her hands. Her palms no longer got sweaty at the thought of a fight. She was slipping back into a war mentality. She had two precious bundles to protect. No wonder McGonagall was always so protective of the students in her house.

She couldn't help but smile at the memory of her head of house.

"What is your name, leader?" She finally asked.

"Maren," The old woman answered, "I'm afraid we sisters only know you by your war title."

"Johana, but my friends call me John," She said, "Even my husband calls me by my nickname."

Maren looked towards the young woman. She wasn't fooled by the relaxed voice; the woman was too tense and ready to fight. The small bump was easy to see. She would offer the woman a scry, that much she owed the great general. She began while they walked, it was an easy feat for one such as her.

"You are aware of things that your husband is not," Maren said.

"I suppose that I am," John agreed, "Yet, he has more years on me."

"You saw them," Maren continued as they entered the main chamber, "That creature."

John paused in her steps. She looked at Maren in thought, her expression blank and untelling. Eventually, the corners of her mouth twitched downwards to show the displeasure of what she knew. The particles within her fed her information in a constant stream now that everything finally settled down.

"I don't know what they are exactly," John stated with a deep frown.

"Perhaps one day you will meet them," Maren stated, "Soon, much like your children will come soon."

John was starting to get the feeling that her children were going to come sooner than later. She was going to be grouchy. She didn't even want to know how long pregnancy with the Doctor would last, she doubted that it would be the last time that they had kids. She felt a fond smile appear on her face at how ecstatic he had been.

"Do you know what the creature looked like?" Maren asked her.

"Just a face full of fire," John shrugged, "I don't have much to go on."

Maren simply nodded her head and motioned for John to sit down. John took a seat on a bench and placed her hands on her lap. Maren left her in that room. She looked around at all the torches that cast flickering shadows upon the floor. She closed her eyes for a few seconds to try and make time pass faster.

A skull made of fire flashed through her mind and her eyes snapped open.

She could hear her hearts beating a mile a minute due to her slight fear. That image had started to show up in her dreams as of late. She looked down towards her feet and brought a hand up to rub at her eyes. That image was of something so far away, something in her distant future. She jumped when something appeared in the room with her. She let out a soft sigh in relief.

"Hello, sexy," She grinned towards the blue box.

The door gently opened, and she hurried inside. The Tardis greeted her happily and she returned the greeting with a small smile. She closed the door behind her and headed towards the main console. She pressed a button and a part of the wall slid down to reveal what was going on outside of the Tardis.

"Think the others might be in trouble?" She questioned.

The Tardis gave a positive sound and she let out an amused chuckle. Leave it to them to get into trouble. She dug around her pockets for something and eventually brought out a hair tie. Within seconds her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail.

"How did you get her here, by the way?" She blinked when she heard the Doctor.

"Oh no, Theta," She muttered as she pinched the bridge of her nose, "It would be you, wouldn't it?"

"The power of the sisterhood," It was one of the younger women from earlier, "It also brought Armageddon to us."

"Really?" The Doctor asked as he finally came into view, as if he knew that she was inside the Tardis, "What, you mean that you lot still practice teleportation? How quaint."

The woman seemed to preen from the slight compliment that covered an insult. The Doctor raised his brows at that, and John couldn't help but snicker. She couldn't help but be amused by the fact that he wasn't taking any of this seriously. He had a buzz, that much was easy to tell with how large his pupils were. He shouldn't have taken the wine that Solon offered them. Leave it to him to ignore the obvious signs of a megalomaniac. Then again, he seemed to miss the signs for himself.

"Unless you lot now have a decent forklift truck?" He questioned with a raised brow.

"Doctor, you have but a little time left," Maren informed him as she came back into the room, "Will you waste it prattling nonsense or confess your guilt."

"What do you mean, I have but a little time left?" He asked with a frown.

"Before you die," She answered.

"But I'm only seven hundred and forty-nine," He informed her, "Life doesn't begin until after seven hundred."

"At the dawn of the next sun, you will die," She curtly informed him, "It has been agreed."

"When?" John questioned with a frown, but the Tardis locked the doors and gave her a low whistle of warning.

"Most definitely not by Johana," The Doctor argued in a calm tone, "I have yet to be consulted about this."

"Confess that you were sent here to steal the Elixir of Life and we shall be merciful in your death," Maren continued.

"I haven't the vaguest notion of what you're on about," He said, "The last thing I remember, I was having a glass of wine with Solon and Morbius."

That caught John's attention. Morbius? Was that who was creating those frequencies that felt so dark? They had reminded her of Sutekh. No wonder she was so tense and ready to flee. Her fight or flight reaction had insisted that she flee, those frequencies had been older than her, and far older than the Doctor. Seven hundred years, she had forgotten just how old he was. Four faces so far, but seven hundred years. That had to be a hundred and seventy-five years per face. Well, depends on how long he lasts on a face and how he dies before regeneration.

"Morbius is dead," Maren hissed.

"That's right, he's dead," The Doctor stated before pausing and turning towards the red-cloaked woman, "How did I get that impression?"

"The time lords destroyed Morbius for his crimes here on Karn," Maren informed him.

"Solon had a clay model of his head, but it was more than that," The Doctor stated and he looked towards the Tardis and John perked up and paid close attention to what was being said, "A living mental contact, I was able to feel the mind of Morbius."

"Morbius was executed for leading the rebellion," She argued, "His body was placed within a dispersal chamber and atomized to the nine corners of the universe."

"I am aware of that, but I'm telling you, Maren," He continued, "That just for a second before I passed out, his mind touched mine and I felt his burning hatred and anguish."

"Morbius is alive," John stated with wide eyes, "No wonder those frequencies had been so strong."

The Tardis gave her agreement on that and John moved around the main console. She looked around for the seats, for once wondering why they were so far away from the console, and took one. She began to think. She needed a way to beat Morbius and keep the Doctor alive. He had been able to trick the older time lord originally, but at the expense of his mind. Maren had been able to bring him back. She looked towards the window and watched as blue eyes stared forward under furrowed brows.

"I suppose you think raising these old fears can somehow help you, but I was there at his execution," Maren stated, "Morbius is dead, Doctor, and you will join him very shortly."

She turned on her heel and exited the room. The Tardis waited for a few seconds before unlocking her doors. The Doctor heard the door slowly creak open and watched a head of dark hair peeking out. He looked relieved to see her.

"Is Sarah with you?" She asked him with a worried frown.

"No, it's just the two of us," He answered her, "Why did they bring you here?"

"That's a good question," She muttered, "I have no clue, but it seemed they did it because they knew me."

"I have a famous wife it seems," He teased, and she gave his arm a light slap.

"More than you know, love," She informed him with a teasing tone of her own, "You are the only person that can call me Johana and get away with it."

He gained a grin at that and gently tapped her nose. He turned towards the entrance and gently pushed her towards the Tardis doors. He gave her a serious look and she sighed quietly and pressed a kiss to his lips before heading back into the blue box. She looked towards the opened panel and he gave her a small nod. As he was taken away she moved to the center console and pulled a lever.

"We're going to go find Sarah," She informed the Tardis, "Should also be able to get him at the same time."

The Tardis gave her a low whistle of worry and she gently patted the console as she flipped a switch. She was flying the Tardis on her own, she knew the right controls the manual was very simple in how it instructed the pilot. It was the math to keep her in the same time code and planet that was difficult. She grinned at the challenge; it had been far too long since something like this had caused her to think. Rune work was getting too simple, she welcomed the challenge of physics that differed from her universes. She pulled another lever and looked out the window, she was facing rocks. She pulled a different lever and fixed the position. She ran towards the door and ignored her heated cheeks.

She needed to work on her landing.

"Need a lift?" She grinned at the Doctor and Sarah.

"That's a welcoming voice," Sarah stated, and John frowned as she noticed the blank look on the woman's face.

The Doctor gave her one that said he would tell her later and pulled the brunette into the ship before taking the controls himself. John closed the door and gently put her hands onto Sarah's face to look into her eyes. The pupils were dilated, and she was acting as if she couldn't see. She was trying to stop herself from panicking.

"I can't see," Sarah informed her.

"I can see that," John muttered with a wince, "What caused it? Stand still pleased while I perform a simple diagnostic charm."

"It was the flash," Sarah informed her as she finally let her panic show, "If I ever make it back to Piccadilly I could always sell flowers."

"Well, the diagnostic is telling me that you simply numbed the optic nerve, it should wear off in a few hours," John informed her with an amused roll of her eyes, "What are we going to do about Morbius, last I checked people who are supposed to be dead typically are."

"Supposed to be and are, two different words, love," The Doctor informed her, and she sent him a look.

"You know what I mean," She stated, "Voldemort only kept coming back because the idiot spliced his souls into parts and stuck them in objects."

"You can do that?" Sarah asked in genuine curiosity.

"Er…Yes," She answered in a very uncomfortable tone, "It's done by willful murder after drinking the blood of a young calf on a full moon, that part is usually done for the first splice…it's dark magic."

"How do you know about it?" The Doctor asked.

"I'm an unspeakable," She answered, her voice very tired, "We have to learn about dark spells and rituals to be able to spot them when they happen or use ideas from them in our research, that's why I typically didn't take on as many research grants until the Minister asked me to do her favor."

He gave her a look and she looked away; she didn't want the pity. Being an unspeakable allowed her some semblance of privacy. Paparazzi and reporters weren't allowed in the department of mysteries. Those that fought on the light side in the war had been compensated, money and a Merlin First class award plus their names in the papers. After the first week, most of the "heroes" had fled into the mundane world helped by her and Sherlock.

They had just wanted a future where they didn't have to worry about persecution or someone turning them away from a job simply because they weren't _Pure_.

"John," Sarah softly muttered and reached for her friends' hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm all right," She muttered back in an even softer tone.

She had been projecting, and she hadn't meant to. She raised the shields she was slowly rebuilding and let out a soft sigh before squeezing Sarah's hand with the same amount of gentleness that the brunette had shown her. Sarah perked up before nodding at the taller woman.

"Right," Sarah stated, "Where are we going?"

"Solon's." The Doctor replied.

"Are you nuts?" Sarah questioned him.

"No, sadly that would explain this madness but he's going to the right place," John stated as she smiled at her husbands slight pout, "Solon seems to be hiding Morbius, we need to take care of Morbius, the man is so angry at the universe that if he came back fully…well, it wouldn't be pretty that's all I can say."

"He'd decimate the Time Lords before moving onto the rest of the universe," the Doctor added.

"No wonder they sent you here," Sarah stated.

"They must truly be cowards if they couldn't deal with him themselves," John stated, her opinion of most Gallifreyans was very low.

Her husband not being a fan of his people didn't help with her opinion of them. If his expression was anything to go by, he could tell. That grin on his face was very different from the frown on hers. Sarah would have started to laugh at the two if she could see them.

"He does have a body in there with no head just made out of different things," Sarah said.

"Has he?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes," Sarah confirmed as John helped her find one of the seats.

"Still have the rune stones?" John asked with a slight grin.

The Doctor took his out of his waistcoat and handed it out to her. She dug around her pockets until she found her metal rod and began to scratch something into the stone. She was quick and he almost panicked her when she easily used the rod to puncture her finger and gold spewed on the runes. It started to light up in her hand and she handed it back to him. He accepted it and put it back into his waistcoat but grabbed onto her hand to check how badly she had cut herself. It was a small cut, enough to get some blood out but not enough to be fatal.

"I'm sturdier than I look," She informed him as the small cut stopped bleeding.

"Didn't even flinch," He muttered as he shot her a look.

"I've had worse," She informed him with a sad smile.

He let out a low sigh at that and released her hand before turning back to the controls. He parked the Tardis with more ease than she had and the three exited the ship. The doors became locked behind them and they sat back down at the table they had been at earlier. John held a different posture and kept her hands in her lap, a bit more prepared than before. She looked towards her family rings and twisted the silver band of the Holmes ring. The small raven that circled the sapphire was enough to make her miss her cousin, the man had to be in Ravenclaw.

He was as smart as they came and cunning, but he had always strived for greater knowledge then power over others. He had never been that ambitious, to begin with, much to the oldest Holmes chagrin. She had more ambition than him sometimes, though it was rare for her to show it.

"Doctor!" Solon exclaimed as he entered the sitting room and saw the group, "Well, what happened? Did they release you?"

"Oh, we got away," The Doctor informed him with a pleasant smile.

"Miss John, Condo had been most upset when you vanished," Solon said as he looked at the witch of the group.

"I apologize, leaving was not my intention," John said with a very soft smile.

"I did my best to save you at the risk of my own life," Solon stated, "I tried to make Maren see reason."

The stone in the Doctor's waistcoat started to grow warm and he looked towards John. She seemed to be calm, but even he could see the storm raging in her eyes. She was holding herself back to such a degree that he was amazed at her self-control. As much as she wanted to bring the man down for his crimes, she was not the judge or the jury. She would refuse to be his executioner unless it was self-defense. She pushed her hair back from her face and leaned forward to the point where her proof of ladyship was obvious. The simple wedding band on her dominant hand stood out more than the silver rings and he almost smiled at the sight of it.

"We noticed," John stated, "Yet, we've had enough of your hospitality one can only take so much drugged wine."

The Doctor was so tempted to sit back and let her rip him a new one. He could _hear_ the anger in her tone just by how she said it. He took one of his hands and gently placed it on her lap. She barely sent him a glance, but he noticed that her shoulders relaxed just the slightest.

"Wait just a minute madam," Solon started, and she narrowed her eyes at him, and he paused.

"Your little stunt caused harm to my friend and almost got my husband killed," She hissed at him, "Please, go right ahead and tell me that I need to calm down because I am calm and that's the worst thing I could be right now."

Solon sputtered at her words and she sighed and got up from her chair. She wasn't going to give him an out, she had dealt with far too many politicians for him to be able to cow her. Mycroft would be proud if he could see her, and she was a bit conflicted about that.

"Why don't we cut the bull and you allow us into your lab," She stated, "You are hiding something you really shouldn't have."

"You come into my house," Solon started to rant and with a single wave of her hand, he went silent.

"You underestimate me, sir," She informed him, "You are not needed to get into your lab, would I like you to comply? Yes, but is it needed, no."

"John," Sarah softly said.

"Let's go then," the Doctor stated as he got up as well.

John held out a hand to Sarah and helped her to her feet. The three were going to deal with Morbius before leaving the area. John was on the warpath, and she was making sure a madman wasn't going to rise again. It was too similar to how Voldemort had come back, a monster in human form or in this case a humanesque creature into a monster form. She didn't need any reminders of that snake. They entered the lab and the atmosphere changed completely.

"Oh no you don't, you either fight on this plane or not at all you coward," John growled as she frowned at the frequency that Morbius was sending her way.

It was quiet for a few seconds, but the Doctor watched John for anything that would give away what was happening on the atomic level. Judging by the taught muscles of her jaw Morbius was starting to converge into a consciousness that they could hear on the physical plane. When the muscle relaxed he knew that the worse for her was over.

"Interesting," Morbius's voice rang out, "Never encountered anything like you before."

"I'm one of kind, for now," John stated as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"Hmm, yes, a freak," Morbius said in an offhanded tone and the blank look that John leveled at that was impressive, "You think you'll be able to fight against me?"

"I will be your opponent," The Doctor stated as he stepped up.

"He's just a brain within a case," Sarah said as she stood closer to John, her vision starting to come back.

"That's crude and could lead to a brain malfunction," the Doctor informed them, "And that spells danger."

"So, we'll just keep calm," John said, "Getting nervous gives this thing power over you, it should be easy to stay calm."

"Well, we just need his brain, that can be returned to the Time Lords and they can choose what they want to do with it," The Doctor informed them.

It sounded so simple, get the brain and move it to the Tardis to send to the Time Lords. Honestly, it should've been simple. Yet, John looked behind her with a slight frown. She felt as though they were being watched. She was starting to wonder if the sisterhood was going to try and move in to defeat Morbius like they were supposed to.

She couldn't blame them for that.

"You can't," Solon's voice floated towards them as they moved deeper into the lab, "I spent my whole life on this project."

"You spent your whole life attempting to resurrect evil," The Doctor countered, "We're removing the brain."

"He needs to be disconnected first," Solon relented.

"What's the catch?" John asked, and that surprised the two next to her, "Someone that spends their life attempting to resurrect someone suddenly complies with the demands of an outside source? Forgive me if I'm a little skeptical."

"I didn't realize it was you, lady Armageddon," Solon mumbled, "We of Karn are familiar with one of the great generals of the final battle."

Those words caused a shiver to go down her spine. That meant she was going to be pulled into war after war, didn't it? She kept her fear off her face, but the Doctor sent the man a frown.

"Final battle?" He asked.

"The one that happened here on Karn hundreds of years ago," Solon answered as he walked forward, "A woman fitting the Lady's description appeared during a snowstorm and took down several of the ships you saw, she went by the name Armageddon and raised hell during the war."

"It had to be a different Armageddon," The Doctor murmured to John.

"I sure hope so," She told him, "Even though I would rather not get in a war if it was to protect those I care about I would go to hell and back to make sure their future is secured."

He almost wanted to tell her to be more selfish and not to worry about others. It made him wonder more and more about her past and why she was the way she is. She didn't want him to go through a war, but if there was a way for her to go in his stead then she'd proudly step up. He gave the quietest sigh at that. Judging by the look that Sarah was shooting her, she was worried about the same thing.

"You have five minutes, Solon," The Doctor informed the man, "Five minutes only."

"I might make a mistake with that amount of time," Solon tried to argue.

"Would you rather I do it?" the Doctor asked as he held up a pair of wire cutters, "Or perhaps Johana, she will be far less forgiving than me."

"Yeah, I might miss," John stated as she innocently twirled her wand, "Maybe my aim isn't as good as people think it is."

"I'll do it," Solon stated.

The group went into the lab and the body of Morbius was laying on the table. It started to move, and Solon put a needle through its skin. A tranquilizer, a simple remedy for the body to stay down. He worked through the tendons and machinery that kept the body together and working, it was both biological and cybernetic. He worked fast. Yet, John had put up a sickly green timer in the air.

"I thought we had to remain calm," Sarah stated.

"I am calm, it's one of the worst things in this scenario," John replied, "It keeps Armageddon at the surface of my mind and stops me from going on the complete warpath if I wasn't then that brain and body would already be ashes."

"What exactly is Armageddon?" Sarah asked and the Doctor tuned into the conversation, "You talk as though it's not you, but at the same time you do."

"Well, Armageddon's always been with me since I can remember," John replied, "It started out as a voice I could hear constantly telling me things I should do, my emotions were highly unstable until I turned eleven and went to Hogwarts."

"You don't seem the type to hear voices," Sarah stated with a teasing smile.

"Only the one," John chuckled, "It was always so violent, and sad. I suppose children can pick up on things like that easier than adults but sometimes if I just let my thoughts wander I can hear it, just small whispers of songs and stories that have a meaning but seem to be lost."

"Have you written them down?" Sarah asked.

"I should, it still speaks them even now," John admitted, "I've just gotten better at ignoring the voice, it acts like a general sometimes and as much as it bothered me as a child I'm thankful for it now."

"I believe Solon slipped out while we were talking," The Doctor stated as he looked towards the closed door, "Luckily he botched the original operation."

"Your sonic is in the Tardis, isn't it?" John asked.

"I was hoping neither of you would point that out," He stated with a smile.

"John, you going to blast the door down?" Sarah asked.

"Of course, it's my favorite thing to do," John grinned.

She brought her wand out and easily flicked her wrist and the door went crashing into the opposite wall. She put it back up into her sleeve and motioned for them to enter the chamber where Morbius was in. She most likely ruined the operation that Solon had been attempting.

"Morbius must be dangerous," Sarah commented.

"He's the reason why the planet looks like this," The Doctor informed her, "And several others, he destroyed so much and left nothing but ashes."

"At least he left ashes," John muttered.

He shook his head at that as they entered the room. She easily stunned Solon and he fell to the ground. She looked a bit annoyed at him as she stowed the wand away. She was starting to wonder where Condo had swanned off to, if he was smart the Golem would stay away. Everything had a survival instinct even an incomplete golem.

"What an interesting way to fight," A familiar voice stated as the lumps of flesh and machinery sat up on the table, "I do not think such a way would work on this body."

"With all the different creatures that make up that body perhaps not," John stated, "But with the machinery keeping your brain alive, oh it would wreak havoc on you."

"What does it feel like to be the biggest mongrel in the universe?" The Doctor questioned Morbius.

"Solon designed this body for efficiency, not merely aesthetic purposes," Morbius said, "To be free to move again, that is all that matters."

"Free?" John scoffed and at the same time the others wondered if it was her the voice sounded different, "To cause more destruction to the universe, are you going to meet up with that creature who destroyed those planets?"

"Ah, so it is you," Morbius stated, his voice almost gleeful, "Taking refuge in another soul and mind, and yet you call me the parasite."

"Not refuge no," She replied, "More like an incomplete merging, its an annoyance but one that is easily overcome."

"Hypocrite."

"Murderer."

"Winged freak."

"Have you seen yourself in a mirror, you dolt?"

"Oh, I'm prettier than you are or ever were."

"You are so lucky that I'm not at full strength yet."

"Doctor, what's going on?" Sarah asked as they watched the two fling insults at each other, "John should have no history with Morbius."

"Perhaps it's a bit more convoluted than we first believed with a dimension traveler," The Doctor answered, "If anyone knew Morbius personally it would be Armageddon, an incomplete merging of all things."

"Merging?" Sarah questioned.

"Some species can merge with another, keeps their lifespan going or stops them from dying at the very least," The Doctor replied, "Whatever Armageddon is, it's an old species one that is older than my own and able to travel through dimensions, even universes."

"There have to be records of such a species," Sarah stated.

"She said the language was old," He muttered, "Something she didn't fully understand, and the Tardis can't translate it, very old to the point where we Time Lords don't have records of them."

"I already did my battle with you and lost," Morbius informed John.

"Well, look where it got you," John stated with a bland tone, "Barely alive and looking like a caricature of Frankenstein's monster."

"I will battle the one that your host calls a husband," Morbius informed her.

"Have you told him that?" It sounded like two people had said that when John opened her mouth.

"I doubt that he would deny me a mind-bending test," Morbius said in a tone that told of such arrogance.

"Well, we do have all the apparatus here," The Doctor said.

"I am a time lord of the first rank, what are you?" Morbius questioned.

"Oh, I don't have a rank I'm just a mere nobody," He answered with a manic grin, "But I don't think you're in the first rank anymore."

"Let us begin," Morbius hissed.

"A sporting gentleman," He stated.

"What's mind-bending?" Sarah questioned John.

"Time Lord wrestling," She answered, her voice normal once again, "Its typically a game, but like quidditch, it can end in a deathlock. Morbius is going to shoot for a death lock he's had more regenerations than the Doctor and as such has more experience."

"The Doctors quite cunning he'll think of something," Sarah muttered, "At least, I hope he will."

John couldn't help but agree with her on that one, a mental agreement from Armageddon let her know that the presence inside her agreed. She had one hell of a headache from the parasite taking control due to her anger. She had been right in that assessment, an incomplete merging and a language she couldn't understand? Whatever had attached itself to her and her family was old, very old. It wasn't as strong in her as it had been in her Grandmother and Mother, it had killed them after childbirth. She could hear the singing in her mind again, and she knew that she would survive having her children and they wouldn't have to deal with Armageddon.

That was her burden and her's alone.

Morbius and the Doctor approached a tall piece of metalwork with circular headpieces and pressed their foreheads against them. The Doctor gave Morbius a look and chanced a glance towards Sarah and John. John was back to normal and was giving him a worried expression.

"En garde, Morbius," The Doctor grinned as he flipped a switch.

Sarah and John watched as a monitor filled with circles filled with images. It appears Morbius went first and the circles filled with faces. They spilled over when the Doctor showed four different faces. A frown was on his face before it smoothed, and he began to focus a bit more.

"Your mind is going, right Doctor?" Morbius asked, "Your puny mind is powerless against the strength of mine."

"He's wrong," John said as she smirked, "He's concentrating his thoughts."

"What for?" Sarah questioned.

"Mental wrestling," John answered, "Though he has four faces -you are right the white-haired one seems lovely- he has a cunning side to him."

"So, he's thinking more to what extent?" Sarah asked.

"He's going to think him into a deadlock, the bloody idiot," John informed her with a frown as the machine started to shoot out sparks, "But if it works, it works."

"What are you, doctor?" Morbius questioned before his braincase filled with smoke and he staggered away, the apparatus exploding and shooting out sparks.

The Doctor began to fall to the side. Sarah and John quickly rushed forward and caught him before he hit the ground. Sarah was holding onto his hands as his head rested in John's lap. The two women were beginning to fret when he didn't automatically wake up and say anything witty or sarcastic. John had a hold on his coat and started to ball the fabric in her fists. She was being brought back to the war; she was holding onto her best friend as his brother began to weep. The smell of fire and ash filled her nostrils and she could almost feel the magic from the bubblehead charm she sent towards someone who had tried to attack them. It had cut off their oxygen and filled their nose and mouth.

A non-lethal used in a very violent manner.

"What has happened?" A voice brought her out of her remembrance and she almost cast a spell at one of the sisters.

"He's dying," John answered, barely able to keep her voice from cracking as she brought one hand up and ran it through his soft curls.

"Bring him to the shrine," The sister ordered.

Sarah looked at John as she moved away from the Doctor. John gave the two a nod and disappeared with a loud crack. The sister looked around for the dark-haired woman in confusion. Sarah simply gained a relieved expression.

"She's back at the shrine," Sarah informed her, "Let's go."

Maren looked down at the woman and Time Lord that had appeared in the shrine. John had one eye closed and was gripping onto her left shoulder. The white of her dress shirt was stained a brilliant gold and shimmered in the torchlight. She watched as more and more appeared and slowly started to travel up the side of her neck. The old woman began to walk towards the two and a single green eye watched her.

"You went too far into the magnetic field," Maren told the much younger woman, "Yet, you covered him and took the wounds he would have received, you genuinely care for him."

"Of course, I do," John muttered, "My husband and the father of my unborn children, I do love him quite a bit."

She left out the bit of the soul bond. She knew that if the Doctor left the world she would soon follow. To live life without the one that was made for you, it sounded like complete torture. A little bit of pain to make sure he lived was enough for her. She could deal with pain, the area in which it had manifested was the old scar tissue that refused to heal.

Werewolf scratches, she was lucky that it hadn't been a full moon.

"To have such wounds, what kind of war did _you _see," Maren softly said.

John didn't have an answer as Sarah ran into the shrine with other sisters following behind her. Sarah took note of the bright gold blood on the other woman and the way the long dark strands of hair seemed even darker than before, sticking to the woman's face and body, she almost looked like she had come out of a violent painting.

"Only the elixir of life can save him," Maren stated.

"And we have none," One of the sisters said.

Maren ignored that and went to a metal cover on the wall. She slowly opened it and revealed a large goblet. The sisters around them began to chant about the sacred fire and bowed their heads. She looked back towards the Doctor and John and bowed her head in respect.

"Enough has formed," Maren informed the sister, "Enough for the Doctor."

"But High One, what of your own need?" The sister questioned.

"Perhaps the Doctor was right," Maren softly admitted, "There should be an end."

Maren gave the goblet to the sister who poured it into the Doctor's mouth with some help from John. He sat up before slowly laying back down in John's lap. He looked around in a dazed fashion as he tried to figure out what had been put in his mouth.

"Nectar?" He questioned, "Stewed apricots, no custard ah!"

"Maren!" The Sisters shout got everyone's attention.

Maren was sitting within the flame. She turned into a young woman and gave them all a gentle smile before vanishing. The Doctor moved to hold onto John's free hand, and she looked down at him with a soft expression on her face, her hair moved to create a slight curtain between the two. She pressed her lips to his forehead as her shoulders slumped in relief.

"Was that the last?" He questioned as John moved back.

"Without it, you would have died," Sarah told him.

"It was ordained," The sister stated.

"And Morbius?" He asked.

"He is destroyed," She answered, "We owe you thanks, Doctor."

"Oh please, no speeches of gratitude," He said as the two women helped him to his feet, "We have an engagement we need to get to."

"We have?" Sarah questioned.

"Come along," He simply told them.

The two began to walk down a tunnel. John paused for a few seconds and gave a nod of thanks to the sisterhood. She was given looks of respect and she quickly turned on her heel to catch up to Sarah and the Doctor. The Tardis had been brought back to the caves by the sisterhood once again. Sarah was opening the doors when she finally caught up. The Doctor looked back and turned to watch the doors open, he had to do a double-take.

"How do you manage to get so injured?" He asked her.

"Apparition through a magnetic field, not my best idea I'll admit that," She answered, "Opened up old scar tissue, I should be fine."

"Should be," He muttered as he ushered the two women into the Tardis.

He twittered about outside for a few minutes before joining them. He put them into the time vortex and plugged coordinates in. Sarah went to go take a shower and catch a quick nap. John thought for a few seconds before going to do the same, she needed to attend to her shoulder and parts of her neck.

He stayed at the console and made sure their entrance into the time vortex was a smooth one before exiting and heading towards their room. He heard the gentle sound of the shower running on the lowest setting and looked around for the small potions kit she always kept out in case something wrong happened when she was fiddling with potions or runes. He knew that dittany was the potion she always turned to, but she had a paste that worked just as well and seemed to heal the wounds better. He rarely saw scars with it, but it didn't accelerate the healing rate as much as dittany.

"Oh, Circe's tit," She muttered as she opened the door to the bathroom and saw him, she had jumped a bit and was now holding onto her shoulder with a pained grimace a little bit of blood seeping into her nightshirt.

He fixed her with a look, and she huffed. He had her sit down and began to work on the gaping wound that made up her shoulder. The scars that he had seen had completely opened again. He was now privy to how deep the original wound had been. Layers of muscle had been destroyed, ripped through like a chef who was first learning how to slice meat. Deep, jagged cuts that almost hit the bone.

"It used to be deeper," She said as he started with the paste, "A couple of werewolves decided to force a change before the full moon even happened, those of us that got injured like this are lucky for that reason only thing it even influenced was the fact that our canines grew longer."

"I had been wondering about that, but didn't want to be rude," He said as he looked around for some bandages.

"It's never stopped you before, and I wouldn't have been mad at you," She muttered as he found some and began to wrap then around her shoulder.

He hummed at that and she sent him a look over her shoulder. He looked distracted and a bit worried. He eventually finished wrapping her wounds and she fixed the nightshirt back over her injured shoulder. He dragged her down onto the bed and wrapped his arms around her waist. She was stuck looking at his adam's apple as he tucked her head under his chin. She brought the hand of her uninjured arm up and clutched at his coat before maneuvering her other arm to wrap around his waist.

He had almost died and it was starting to dawn on him.

"Clever trick earlier," She quietly said.

"Very," He muttered as he tightened his grip on her.

She didn't say anything further about it, not wanting to upset him. He seemed to want to move past it and she understood. He knew that she understood that far too well. He held onto her a bit tighter and made the mental decision to not leave her. Even when she was lulled to sleep by his calm breathing, he didn't leave her. Even he fell asleep for once due to the peaceful moment after such a hectic day.


	16. 16

**For those of you who have read this story and favored/ followed, I thank you for your continued support even if you don't review (which is fine by me knowing that this is read by others and they enjoy it is all that matters). I appreciate it and will always appreciate it, I hope you are all around to see this story to its end, no matter how long it takes! Thank you for reading, and for staying with me while my writing evolves, and I try different things to expand upon this story. I say this because I'm going to receive negative reviews due to the last chapter because I refuse to write for Jodi's doctor at this point, someone has already left me one and I wanted to make sure that you all know how much the support truly means to me! I appreciate you all and I really hope that you continue to like this story as much as I like to write it.**

**Now! Onto the new chapter, eh?**

* * *

Chapter 16

_Magical London and Sherlock_

* * *

"This is not funny, Doctor," John muttered as she used an enlargement charm on a shirt and pencil skirt, "Pregnancies are supposed to last nine months, not five."

"Sorry," He apologized as he wrapped his scarf around his neck, "But nine months is a human cycle, and there hasn't been a natural Gallifreyan pregnancy since my Granddaughter Susan."

She made a sound at that and he watched as she finished with the adjustment of her clothes. She pulled on the plain green, long-sleeved shirt and black skirt before pulling on a pair of tan sneakers. He hadn't been expecting her to wear _sandshoes _of all things. She sent him a look as though she could tell what he was thinking. She pulled her hair into a low ponytail before walking towards him and fixing his collar.

"Weren't you going to resign from UNIT?" She asked him.

"Well, that was the idea," He stated, as he caught her hands in his own and pressed a kiss to the backs of them, "But this case sounded interesting, it's up in the artic who could pass that up?"

"Fair point," She conceded, "Hopefully, you'll be warm enough."

"I take it you'll be going back into Magical London while we're adventuring?" He questioned.

"I would like to spend some time with Sherlock," She sighed, gently freeing her hands, "Besides you know that if you truly need my assistance you can always call for me just like the Tardis does when you're ready to go."

He watched as she pulled items into her messenger bag before hoisting it onto her shoulder. He didn't like the idea of not being able to see her and check on her wellbeing but was going to respect her privacy. He couldn't keep her from her family even if he wanted to, she'd most likely cause him to regenerate if he did. He was a bit fond of this face, he rather not be hit. Not that she would hit him beside the light slap to the arm that she did out of habit.

"The grey tweed looks good on you," John informed the Doctor.

"Why thank you," He grinned.

"You do realize that I will most likely commandeer it if you regenerate, or decide on a different one," She informed him with a teasing wink.

He rather liked the idea of her stealing his coat and wearing it. Even if it was a different face, she would still be wearing something of _his_. He stopped her from walking away and planted a quick kiss on her forehead before moving to her lips. She sent him an amused look that also hid some fondness in it.

"Do you want anything from Magical London?" She asked him as she gave a soft whistle and Chariot came through the doors and perched on her shoulder.

"Jelly Babies," He answered, "Please."

"I'll see if they have every flavor again, watching you hoard those to yourself is extremely entertaining," She grinned before it fell when a few feathers fell from Chariot, "Old girl is starting to go towards the end, I'm going to ask Sherlock to look after her."

"Not long, eh?" He questioned when he noticed the blank expression.

"Yeah, most witches and wizards have familiars," She informed him, "Some of us can have more than one, Chariot is but one of my familiars the other is in the hold of an old coot that believes in the _greater good_."

The way she spat those words out made him realize that the man had to be responsible for the war that she went through, she wasn't normally that spiteful when she talked about people from her world. She had to have deep set anger towards him, he just hoped that she didn't run into him while she was visiting her cousin. Well, he hoped that she didn't run into any enemies that might bring her back into the war. Knowing her she might just cause a big enough ruckus and then she'd leave.

She'd become a figure of hope in that war, a prophesized chosen one that would refuse to fight for the _greater good_.

There was something he had in common with his wife, they both hated that phrase with a burning passion. The greater good is just something that was said to make atrocities seem less harmful. Hitler's violence towards the Jewish was said to be the greater good and look at what happened. That was a phrase that needed to die, hopefully, more and more people would start to understand why hearing it would bring nothing but sadness.

He shook himself from his thoughts and walked to the main console with John. He needed to park so that he could go talk to a UNIT scientist about where he needed to go in the artic. She would also appreciate the shorter distance for traveling her way. He had yet to see her use her broomstick, he was so tempted to ask the Tardis to make a room where she could fly to her hearts content. He would wait until she was no longer pregnant.

"Morning," Sarah greeted the other woman.

"Mornin' Sarah," John greeted back with a small smile.

"You going to go visit your cousin?" Sarah questioned.

"Yeah, it's going to be an interesting time," John said with a wry smile, "He's going to raise hell, or just say he told me so."

Sarah had a feeling it was going to be the latter, as did John. John placed her hands into her pockets and sat in one of the seats. Her back was starting to hurt. The increased growth of her stomach wasn't helping her, like she said nine months was normal five was pushing the body to the extreme. She was starting to realize that marrying an alien was a strange thing to do and having children by one was even weirder. Merlin, did she love the man.

They parked and out went the resident witch with a wave of her hand and a large grin. Sarah looked towards the Doctor and grinned at the put-out look on his face. It appeared that he was going to be in a mood of sorts during their adventures together. She'd miss the witch as well, but she could manage without her. She shook her head and motioned for him to leave the Tardis.

* * *

"Must you break my furniture?" Sherlock asked as he peered down at his cousin.

"I must," She answered from her spot on the floor, "It's payback for keeping me up all hours of the night playing the violin."

He raised a brow at that, and she slowly got up to her feet. His eyes immediately zeroed in on the bump. It didn't take his mind long to figure out what had happened, but he wondered how she could be that _far_ along. It had only been three weeks since he last saw her. He reached forward and steadied her on her feet.

"How far along are you?" He asked.

"Two months, but technically a month," She answered.

"How does that work, and don't tell me magic," He questioned with a strange expression on his face.

"My husband's an alien," She informed him with a grin, "And I'm from another universe, I became an alien due to travel through the dimensional rift."

Huh, he didn't really have anything to say to that. What could he even say to that? He watched as amusement started to grow on her face at his unamused and stunned silence. A grin started to form as he continued to think of something he could say. He simply sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Do you still store human body parts in the fridge?" She asked him as she began to look around his flat.

"Of course, I do," He huffed, "If I didn't they'd go bad."

"Well, I'm not going to drink the milk if it's all the same to you," She muttered before letting out a soft cough, "Are we waiting for someone?"

"Mycroft."

Judging by the expression that came to her face she had forgotten about the other Holmes. The man who was a squib in both universes, it seems that no matter where he was he got the short end of the stick when it came to magic. She muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "Big Brother Government" and went to sit down in the chair that she had brought to the flat. It engulfed her like an old friend and the old owl that was her first familiar let out a soft hoot from the perch. He knew that it didn't have long before it passed.

John was going to be inconsolable when she found out.

"Have you picked out names?" He asked her.

"Hilda for a girl and Aaron for a boy," She answered, "I'll call her Hilly for short."

"You almost named her Brunhilda, didn't you?" He questioned at her sly smile he rolled his eyes at that, "That poor child."

He couldn't believe this version of his cousin. She was so outgoing compared to his version. The version that should in her forties and not her early twenties. She took out a small, white paper package and opened it. Inside were jelly babies, brightly colored. She picked one up and popped it into her mouth.

"Would you care for a jelly baby?" She asked him, in a manner that was almost identical to her husband.

"Who…Who the hell did you marry?" He questioned as he took a small candy from the package.

"Like I said, an alien," She replied as she ate another candy, "He's rather brilliant, he'd give you a run for your money with his mind, he was able to trick even the oldest of his kind with just his thoughts."

"Explain it," He said with genuine curiosity as he sat down in his own armchair.

"Well, it was an overload of thoughts," She started to explain, "It filled up his opponent's mind, it was a brilliant bit of Occlumency mixed with Legilimency it was like his mind shields had been made to overpower such an opponent…granted it did almost kill him."

"Overpower in what?" He asked.

"Mind wrestling," She shrugged, "I could've taken care of it with ease, but he seemed more than glad to do so."

That had left him just as confused as before. He ran a hand through his head of greying dark hair. He never knew what was going to happen with John, at least that much had stayed the same. The dark messy hair had also remained identical to what he was used to. She ate another jelly baby and relaxed in her armchair. Oddly enough, he welcomed the silence that came with this version of John.

"What house were you in?" He asked her.

"Gryffindor, and you?" She queried.

"Ravenclaw."

"Called it."

Of course, she did. Being around him most of her life was enough to make sure that she was somewhat smarter than those around her. She looked at him and he was so sure that she was able to read his mind or his body language at the very least. Her green eyes were different than his John's. Dark green that seemed to glow with power, if he looked close enough there was a gold ring around her pupils that branched out into deep emerald.

"Rune mistress," He muttered.

"Hm?" She looked at him slightly confused before it dawned on her, "Oh, deducing me, are you? Deduce away then."

"You seem to be favoring your right side, though you're left-handed," He continued, "Injury perhaps, longer hair seems to imply that someone dumped a bottle of hair growth potion on you and it truly does suit you cousin, you seem happier due to your husbands influence or perhaps a good friend."

"You always did like knowing what was going on in her mind," A familiar voice stated, and John turned around.

"You got fat, Big Brother Government," She said without thinking.

"You choose to focus on my girth and not my age," Mycroft Holmes muttered as he looked at his young cousin, "No wonder, I suppose that last time you saw me I was quite young."

"And thinner…you also had a full head of ginger hair," She continued and then made a face, "Merlin, I sound like the Doctor."

"Oh no," Mycroft muttered, "He's a Watson now, isn't he?"

"I forgot how much alike you two are," She informed him.

"I'm not remotely like him," Sherlock and Mycroft stated in unison with matching frowns.

They noted the raised brow and smug look on her face. She let out a low chuckle at the two before getting up from her armchair with a slight grunt. She walked over to her oldest cousin and brought him into a hug. He tensed up before hugging her back. He had missed her special brand of hugs; Watson had always been a good hugger.

"Now, where are we going for lunch?" She grinned at the two, "I have shopping to do and I'd rather spend my time with you lot wisely before I leave again."

"Swanning off as usual," Sherlock scoffed, "Never could sit in one place."

"Sounds like me and the other John were the exact same person," Her grin increased at that.

"She was a Hufflepuff to the core," Mycroft informed her, and she paused for a few seconds.

Her face was blank, and she tilted her head in thought. The serious expression on her face brought genuine chills down his spine. This was John, but not _their _John. Another version of her, the exact face and mannerisms but the way she seemed able to shut down her emotions was not reminiscent of their John. This was a version that had lived through a war and had killed people, not save them. She was dangerous, and it seemed as though that point had finally gotten across to Mycroft and Sherlock.

"I was given the choice of Hufflepuff," She quietly admitted, "The hat decided that I would do better in Gryffindor, said I needed to branch out and grow."

"Well, I think Madame McCully is open for lunch," Sherlock stated to move the conversation in a different direction.

"Well, hopefully, I'm dressed well enough for Madame McCully," John stated as the oldest Holmes tossed a pinch of floo powder into the fireplace.

"Believe me, she'd be over the moon to see the lady of two houses," Mycroft said as he ushered her into the fireplace.

"Well, see you there," She muttered before calling out the name.

She closed her eyes as she began to travel through the fireplaces. Her mouth was full of soot and she tried not to breathe it in through her nose. It would not have been a comfortable experience. This was why she hated fireplace travel, it was messy and out of date. Now, if she could figure out how to open time portals or the smallest rifts in the dimensional fabric then she could invent instantaneous travel that didn't make one sick or make a loud noise that sounded as though a car had backfired. She paused as she started to travel towards her husband's way of thinking, well at this point he would've insulted the magical community in eight different ways.

He really didn't do well with those he believed to be idiots.

"Welcome, do you have a reservation?" A snobbish voice asked her.

"Mind waiting for the rest of my party to show up?" She asked with a frown.

She didn't even bother with her wand and simply snapped her fingers. The soot that covered her clothing was gone and her hair was a bit more of a mess than had been since she woke up. A figure came out of the fireplace and she watched as Sherlock ducked under the mantle and used his wand to clean up. They turned and waited for Mycroft, who seemed to suffer the most from the floo. He seemed to be having difficulty catching his breath.

"I'm being outdone by a woman who's pregnant," Mycroft muttered.

"I would smack you for that comment if you weren't so bloody old," She informed him with a frown, "Mind you, I could always set Sarah on you."

She had a feeling that the brunette would have no problem hitting her older cousin, it didn't matter if he was an old man. She was someone who didn't mess around and didn't agree with sexist ideals. Neither did she for that matter, it drilled to home just how different these two were compared to her own. The Mycroft she knew, while also a stickler and politician, respected his female workers and would never have been caught dead saying such things. Different times, she supposed. Different eras, modern age compared to the 1970s. It was strange.

"Table for Holmes and Watson," Sherlock told the owner of the snobbish voice.

Their hostess was a tall woman with a nose straighter than John's. The woman gave a curt nod and grabbed three menus before motioning for them to follow. They did so and John's nose crinkled at the over the top decorations that filled the restaurant. She was starting to miss the Leaky Cauldron and judging by the look on Sherlock's face he didn't think much about it either. It had to be a request from Mycroft, no wonder he gained so much weight.

"A waiter will be right with you," The Hostess said as she set the menus down at a table.

Sherlock and John took their seats while Mycroft excused himself to the restroom to make sure all the ash was off of him. The two shared a look and sighed in unison. Neither of them was comfortable in an upscale restaurant, too many years of running towards the crime scenes and spending time down at the Hogs Head in Hogsmeade.

"Nice to see nothing there's changed," John muttered as she opened her menu and looked at it.

"Tell me more of your adventures," Sherlock blurted out.

"Well, there was this one on a space station called Nerva a few thousand years into your future," John began, "The earth was abandoned, due to an electrical storm hitting the Earth if I remember correctly it's been a while, and the select few of the human race was sent to the station to create Noah's ark."

"You could write a book," Sherlock stated.

"Or a telly series," She grinned at him, "And that wasn't my first time on Nerva the next was with the Cybermen, nasty robots that have a human mind encased in metal that uses the human nervous system to move the limbs, they seem to be adverse to gold."

"Ah, UNIT had a problem with Cybermen a while ago," Sherlock muttered, "Some old man named the Doctor helped them to figure it out."

"That had to be his previous face then, the one with the head of white hair," She said as she decided upon the fettuccini, "He's got lovely brown curls now, and is taller if what Sarah say's is anything to go by."

"Alien, right," Sherlock muttered.

"Want to know about Daleks?" She asked him.

He sat there the entire time she told him about Skaro and the Kaleds and the creation of the Daleks by Davros. Mycroft came in at the beginning and listened in on her adventures. The only pause happened when they ordered their food and drink. Alcohol for the men and pumpkin juice for the one who was pregnant- though she was making a mental note to pick up a few cases of butterbeer for future celebrations and to send one to Harry and Sarah- with pasta being what they ordered for food.

She told them about Sutekh and about Morbius. The two men couldn't believe that this John had traveled through time and space. The way she talked about her adventures with her friends and husband was enough to call her fanciful if not for the tale of the Loch Ness. They both paid attention to what UNIT was doing, the whole group was made of intelligent people, it would be incredibly idiotic not to pay them any respect.

"That Davros fellow sounds like a rotten apple," Sherlock stated, "Sounds familiar."

"Now, now, don't be like that to your brother, Sherlock," John chided, and Mycroft seemed to puff up smugly, "He's not as bad as Davros…yet."

He seemed to deflate at that, and she snickered into her juice. She got a swift kick to the shin for that and it didn't seem to deter her from laughing. They paid for their food and drink. Mycroft took his leave of his youngest cousin and baby brother. He had enough of their chatter to last a lifetime.

"What do you even have to buy?" Sherlock questioned.

"Every flavored Jelly Babies, butterbeer, and ingredients to make specialty ice cream for a friend," She answered as she went over her mental list.

It was his turn to take his leave of her. She gave him a cheery wave and he vanished from the spot. She stood there for a few seconds before rolling up her sleeves and heading into the first shop. She found the butterbeer and ingredients with ease, a specialty shop that was in a tiny nook that sold everything she needed to make magical candy. She put everything into her messenger bag, an extension charm was sewn into the fabric, and rolled her shoulders.

She was starting to figure out that everything was different from her time when a store near her exploded. Her eyes went wide as she saw who had started it. The dark cloaks the skull masks, her lip quivered slightly as her hearts sped up in her chest. It had been a few months since she had seen those masks. And _six_ years since the war took almost everything from her. She stood there transfixed while people ran past her. That snapped her out of it, and she squared her shoulders. She wasn't going to allow them to harm any more people while she was around.

With a quick wave of her wand, the debris around her flew towards the masked attackers. Several of them fell to the ground from the surprise attack. She brought a large piece of debris close to her to take cover as she fired off several boil inducing spells and tickling charms. It wasn't the way she was going to win; she had several neutral spells that she could use. She twisted her wand and out of the tip flew a long lasso of white fire.

"Fiend Fyre!" Someone shouted as she moved out of hiding.

It went towards the masked magicals and they began to scream in fear as the fire gained a dragon-like appearance. It reflected her Patronus. Those were what certain old tribes called spirit totems, the form a Patronus took was just that. Her's ended up being a dragon, the totem that represented longevity and travel through space. It used to be an owl.

They could always change.

She pulled herself from her thoughts and called off the fiend fyre before anyone got hurt. The Death Eaters, she needed to remember to use their titles, who remained looked at her as though they had never seen a pregnant woman fight. They went down with rapid stunning spells shot from her wand. She stood there with a cold look on her face before something tugged at the edges of her mind. The Tardis was calling her back, she disappeared with a crack to where the ship was. They were still in Antarctica. She looked around with genuine awe and snow began to stick to her hair. She shivered slightly and quickly slipped into the spaceship.

"Hello," She mumbled in a desolate tone.

The Tardis gave a low whistle in understanding. John moved through the hallways towards their room and went straight into her briefcase. As soon as the lid closed she hurried towards a large room. She changed her skirt into a pair of shorts and grabbed a spare broomstick. She had to do something about her anger, she couldn't allow it to feed to her magic and lash out. She didn't know what would happen if she were to have an accident in the Tardis. The ship could take her doing simple spells and some rune work but tended to warn her if she tried any spells that used a lot of magic. Well, when she was in the briefcase she could do so without a problem.

She kicked off into the air and began to fly around the large space. She practiced the different maneuvers from her time on the team. She had been forced to every early morning session, just in case she had to play. She stopped into a hover when she heard a whistle from below. The Doctor stood there with a worried expression. She winced; the Tardis had told him what happened. Couldn't hide anything from him if she tried.

"A loss of temper I see," He called up to her when she refused to come down.

"That never happened in my world," She informed him without thinking, "I couldn't…I couldn't let all those people be killed."

"That noble nature is going to get you killed," He informed her with a deep frown, "It's idiotic and last I knew being an idiot wasn't in your nature."

"Brazenness and near-suicidal tendencies are normal in Gryffindors," She informed him, "But…Theta, there were children there."

She wasn't looking at him anymore. She was staring at the wood grasped tightly in her hands. He made a sound of understanding. She had been so deeply set off by the fact that nothing like this was reported in her history. At least she had a motherly instinct to protect a child. That nature of her's was truly going to get her killed one day. Just like his had almost done him in.

"If you're a Gryffindor than what does that make me?" He asked her.

"Most likely the same, you're just as brash as I am sometimes if not more," She grumbled as she started to move down towards him.

"The house of the brave and chivalrous," He said, "Some would say bravery is for those that lack common sense."

"It was any of the houses but Slytherin," She huffed as she became eye-level with him, "You may be cunning, but you lack the ambition that is prevalent in most Slytherins."

"Was it so hard to come down?" He asked her.

She gave him a look that seemed as though she was contemplating going back up when he grabbed onto the wood. She understood his weariness about her flying, and slowly put her feet on the ground. She was still ready to go back into the air. She tilted her head slightly.

"Fancy a ride?" She asked him.

"Would it even hold both of our weight?" He questioned.

"You ask that even though you're already sitting behind me," She sounded amused by that and he simply reached forward to grasp onto the broom with her, "Hang on, I may have cushioning charms everywhere, but falling will still hurt."

She gently kicked off and watched as the Doctor tightened his grip on the broom. He didn't seem to be the type to enjoy flying like this. She took it easy and he slowly relaxed into it. If he rested his chin on her shoulder than no one was the wiser.

"No wonder you fly when upset," He commented, "It's oddly relaxing."

"You do realize that if our children have magic it's the first thing I'm teaching them, right?" She asked him.

"Oh no," He muttered, and she chuckled.

"Didn't even think about that did you?" She teased him.

"Hopefully, our brash nature will cancel each other out," He said.

"Doubtful, the Watson's are known for their particular brand of stubbornness, we're typically Gryffindors or Hufflepuffs," She informed him with a sly grin, "I believe you might've lost this one, love."

"Johana," He warned her, and she simply hummed in response, "I could always teach them Gallifreyan physics."

"Ah, that would put them ahead if they chose to go to Hogwarts as I did, or the academy like you," She informed him.

"Boarding schools," He sighed, "Except with yours we'll be able to see them during the summer and holidays."

She smiled at that as she landed. He was the first off, his legs a bit unsteady under him. She dismounted and rested it against her good shoulder, a grin on her face. He could almost see the teenager who still had that little bit of innocence and naivety left when she did that. The war couldn't squash that part of her that had grasped onto flying as a happy memory and held it close to her with an iron grip. He was just going to have to increase the number of happy memories, wasn't he?

"You swiped my Jelly Babies," He stated.

"Yes, yes I did," She chuckled.

He was finding the only person that could do that and he wouldn't get mad. He put an arm around her waist and began to lead her out of the briefcase, only pausing to let her put the broom up. When they reached the main control room John looked at Sarah in confusion. She was dressed in a swimsuit with an inflatable beachball in her hands.

"Are we going to the beach?" She questioned.

"Hopefully," Sarah chirped.

John couldn't help but agree with that. She was longing for something on Earth that wasn't dreary old England. It would give her a chance to take a break from all the war. She sighed in relief as the Doctor parked the Tardis and Sarah quickly went out the door. The cold burst of air was enough to let her know that he had just gone back to the artic. The Doctor joined Sarah and she could hear them laughing from inside the Tardis.

"Idiots, the both of them," She said in a fond tone.

The Tardis gave her a whistle and she chuckled.

"I suppose that I am one as well," She smiled as the two came back in, "I wouldn't have it any other way."


End file.
